On the pain of death
by Slurpee Monster
Summary: What if Xellos was following his own ambitions during Try, and that led to Lord Beast Master getting very angry with him? This is a FiliaXellos fic
1. Where is Sanctuary?

Author's notes/ Disclaimer: I don't own Xellos, Filia, Milgazia, Lina, or any part of the Slayers.

All it takes is a sudden surge of inspiration and voila; instant chapter. I hope you enjoy!

**Where is Sanctuary?**

It hurt. Oh gods it hurt. The unbearable pain that had been forced upon him every horrid moment wouldn't go away. Even though it had stopped, he could still feel it. How many years had he been confined? Two years? Maybe three? In any case, it was only a blink of an eye for someone that lived as long as he did, and yet something wasn't right. The agony that had been racking his existence for these very long years wouldn't subside.

Imagine the delight and the horror to find out that your torture had ended, only to be placed in a different kind of torture. Pain… It felt as though his being had been ripped apart from the inside.

A laugh echoed down the darkened hall. It was a laugh of a half crazed monster that had just been granted freedom after years of physical and mental torture. He wasn't even sure where he was going. It didn't matter really. He was so weak… But staying here wasn't an option. Oh no. He had to get away until he regained some of his sanity.

His hand tightened on his ruby-eyed staff that had been returned only a few short days ago. He had missed it dearly. Without making another sound, he vanished from his Mistress' stronghold, Wolf Pack Island, and began walking the astral plane.

A faint glimmer of the memories he had kept secret resurfaced in him. He needed negative emotions, and while Lina would have been his first choice, he had no idea where she was. He had heard that the golden dragon, Filia, had moved to a town outside the Dark Lord's barrier. He smirked. She was always full of such tasty negative feelings towards him.

Why was he having such a difficult time moving in the astral plane? Oh right. He was still trying to keep himself together. Every time he didn't think about something, he would think about the torture and wham. Instant pain would hit him like one of Lina's Dragon Slavs. If he tried to block it out, he would inevitably start remembering and again he'd arrive at the same outcome.

It was driving him crazy….

Teacups clicked together as Filia gently placed them on the table. She poured two cups of the hot liquid and handed one to her guest who gave her a slight nod as a 'thank you.' She seated herself at the table and took her own cup. For a while both sat drinking in silence. Her guest wasn't much of a talker Filia supposed.

"Well elder…" Filia began unsurely. "What brings you all the way out here?"

Milgazia raised his golden eyes from his cup. His expression hadn't changed at all since he had arrived that morning. It was still unreadable. Didn't he ever smile?

He took another sip before he replied, "didn't I tell you?"

"No," Filia said. He just came in and that was it. She didn't even think he said "hi" before he entered.

The other golden dragon set his cup down on the table and leaned back a little on his chair.

"Must have slipped my mind…"

"Elder?"

"Call me Milgazia, elder makes me feel old," he said with a bit of humour in his voice. "Anyway, I came here after I heard about the destruction of the Fire Dragon clan. You are the soul survivor Filia. You shouldn't be alone after an event such as that, especially with an egg."

Filia blushed. She couldn't help feel that when the elder looked at her, all he saw was a silly little child. Maybe she was. She had never taken care of an egg before, let alone a hatchling. Her eyes wandered from the elder until they came to rest on the basket that held Valgarv's egg, and her expression softened.

Milgazia watched her silently. She already had the look of a proud mother dragon.

As he rose from the table, Filia quickly turned back to him. It was time for him to depart.

She saw him to the door, but before he stepped out he regarded her once more.

"If you need help with the hatchling, there are dragons at the Kaakato Mountians that would be willing to help."

"Thank you elder," Filia said kindly as she reached for the door. "I will consider it."

Before Milgazia turned to leave however, both dragons were startled by a horribly familiar presence. Filia's eye twitched ever so slightly while Milgazia's wary golden eyes sought the source of their ominous company. Fear gripped his heart when he felt something wrap around his neck. He couldn't breathe… Fighting every urge he had to fight desperately for his life, Milgazia slowly let his legs buckle and his world black out.

Filia watched horrified. The elder had suddenly become very pale and collapsed on her doorstep. What was wrong with him?

"Elder Milgazia!" she cried as she knelt by his side. She wasn't sure if she should cast a recovery spell on him or not. He didn't seem injured, but she couldn't just do nothing.

"He knew," a familiar voice rang through her mind. "It's funny. He's too good. Oh well. It was still fun. I hope he wakes up soon. I like his hatred."

"Xellos.." Filia hissed as she reached instinctively for her mace. "Show yourself monster!"

The monster materialized in front of her and smiled an almost innocent smile. He opened one of his amethyst eyes and waggled his finger at her. He was forcing himself to act; it was a feature that he had mastered centuries ago, or at least he thought so. When he saw the giant mace coming at him however, pain struck him internally and he fell to his knees and covered his head.

"I was playing! He knew that! It's ok! It's a game!" he cried before erupting into a fit of demented laughter. "It's all a game!"

Filia froze with the mace suspended in mid air. It was almost touching the monster. She let her weapon slide out of the air, tapping Xellos as it did. He screamed in agony and gripped himself tightly. It was as though he was trying to keep himself from falling apart.

Bewildered by the monster's unnatural behaviour, Filia took an uneasy step back. She took a close look at him but couldn't find anything visibly wrong. She also couldn't sense any curses that could have been placed on him, so there was only on explanation in her mind. He was toying around with her.

"I don't know what you're after Xellos," she said looming over him. "But if you don't leave right this instant I'm going to make you leave!"

"You couldn't even if you tried…" he said in a dangerously low voice. Something inside of him was fighting to retain his arrogance.

She glowered at him, then clasped her hands in front of her and began chanting the familiar words to a familiar spell. His eyes widened. It was 'Chaotic Disintegrate.'

All of his smugness immediately vanished. That spell wasn't to be taken lightly. It was true that he had absorbed it before, but he hadn't been weak or mentally unbalanced at the time.

"Stop it!" he screeched leaping back to his feet and grabbing a hold of Filia's arms. He glowered dangerously at her with both of his monster eyes wide open and fearful. His grip was harsh, but when Filia tried to pull away from him, he let her go.

"What is wrong with you?" Filia demanded angrily. "If you're after Valgarv…"

His head fell forward so that his bangs covered his eyes. He shook his head slowly and let his shoulders droop a little.

"Did you come to kill me or Milgazia then?" she asked.

"No no," he said regaining something that could be considered calmness.

"Then what is your problem?"

"Many many things…" he admitted. "Secret things."

Filia was ready to bang her head against the wall. If Xellos was here to mess her up, he was doing a very good job of it. She brushed back some of her golden hair that had fallen in her face and stepped over to Milgazia who was just beginning to stir.

"Well if that's all Xellos, I think you should be going now."

"But, you're the only one left…" he whined. Pain shot through his body again and he wrapped his arms around himself and cringed.

"What do you mean?" she asked exasperated. "Lina and the others are all off doing something and probably upsetting a good portion of the monster race. Why don't you go bother them for a while?"

"I don't know where they are… Besides, I like you Filia."

The golden dragon shuttered. Something about that statement just didn't feel right to her. The elder's eyes blinked open and Filia immediately helped him up. He was still a bit shaky so she wrapped one of his arms over her shoulders and guided him back inside.

Xellos followed, still fighting to keep the hurting inside him from consuming him completely. The hostile emotions that both of the dragons gave off was keeping him from falling apart. He wasn't about to leave. Not now.

More notes: So far so good! I don't have writers block and I haven't lost interest. If I keep this up I might actually finish it! Yay! It'll be my first fanfic with chapters.


	2. Nothing is Right

Author's notes: You'll find the disclaimer on the first page.

I won't promise that I'll finish because if I did that I probably wouldn't, if that makes sense. All I can tell you is that I'll try my best to keep things flowing!

**Nothing is right**

The clock was ticking; Xellos was intrigued. The monster watched as each second ticked away. It was like counting down the hours of living. It was kind of depressing in a way knowing that time would continue wearing everyone away. He slowly reached up and stopped one of the hands.

"Stop playing with that!" Filia snapped at him.

He glanced back at her before withdrawing his hand to let the hand tick by. Tick tick tick… What an annoying sound. Couldn't the flow of time adopt a more pleasant hum?

The elder had recovered completely much to Filia's relief. He was standing near the table, watching Xellos suspiciously. The monster didn't seem to notice this however. He seemed intent on messing up her clock. Now she was going to have to reset it.

"Xellos! I mean it!"

The monster sighed and let his hand fall again.

"Fine, but they'll all die you know."

This was ridiculous! She would have thrown him out by now if she thought she could. Maybe hitting him with her mace would work. It seemed to work before.

"What kind of mind games are you playing this time Beast Master?" Milgazia inquired.

The monster stepped away from the clock and smiled pleasantly.

"No more mind games… There's too much of that already," he replied. "Beast Master…?" He clutched his head tightly and backed up a few paces. The pain was returning. "No…"

Filia was about to burst. He kept saying things that didn't make any sense! Even though Filia hated to admit it, she was beginning to miss the old Xellos; the one who'd laugh, and smile a lot, the one who'd vanish when you needed him only to return when you didn't. The Xellos that would have fought with her over stupid mindless little things…

Wait a minute… She wasn't supposed to miss him! She sat down and banged her head against the table. How was she going to get him out of her house?

"You!" she exclaimed pointing an accusing finger at him. "Are insane!"

"Ah," he clasped his hands together and cradled his staff in the crook of his elbow. "You noticed."

"That was obvious enough…" Milgazia muttered. "But that still doesn't explain why you are here."

"That's right!" Filia said as she snatched his staff away from him. Milgazia seemed shocked at her accomplishment. He had never seen someone face down the Beast Master the way Filia did.

Xellos looked stunned as well, but this quickly turned into anger. It hurt to be angry he realized as a sharp pang hit his body. He smiled as he tried to hold the pain off. Filia really was testing his limits. Torture… It was eating away at him again.

"Filia…" He whined.

"If you want this back you're going to have to leave Xellos!" she announced as she headed towards the front door.

"Xellos…" Milgazia said calling the monster's attention. "Please don't harm her… She's still young…"

"I'm not crazy enough to kill Filia," he replied sounding less insane than he was. "Lina would kill me if I did that."

The elder Dragon nodded. He knew that the young human girl he had met a few years earlier definitely could kill Xellos. Would Filia really be worth it to the sorceress he wondered. Xellos seemed to think so.

The monster silently followed Filia to her front door. He wanted his staff back. It was his. A thought suddenly struck him and suddenly he realized that it didn't matter. Nothing in this world was truly his. It could all be taken away.

"Now will you be a good monster and leave me alone?" she asked.

"I don't want to leave," he said simply. "Keep my staff. I haven't had it for years anyway…"

"Why are you so determined to stay here?" she asked shoving the staff back into his possession.

Pain shot through his body and he cried out and dropped his staff as he stumbled back. It wasn't stopping! Xellos wanted to die. The ache that racked his existence had suddenly grown and crashed into him like an unbearable wave. He screamed and fell forward, clawing at his clothing. He closed his eyes against the pain, but it wouldn't stop.

Filia stood back stunned. "X-Xellos…?"

Oh gods… What was she supposed to do now? She knelt by him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He cried out again and writhed in agony.

"Oh gods… Oh gods…" she said under her breath.

Suddenly Milgazia was beside her. She hadn't even noticed him enter the room. He stood over Xellos and said in a calm but powerful voice, "Xellos, look at me."

The monster managed to open one eye. He looked up at the golden dragon that was doing something with his hands. Xellos watched intently. He held as much trust for a golden dragon as they had for him. He became perfectly still and the pain subsided, for the most part.

"What did you do Elder Milgazia?" Filia questioned feebly. She hated the sound of anything suffering… and Xellos had been suffering very much.

"Absolutely nothing…"Milgazia replied. "He just needed a distraction."

"You seem to know an awful lot about my condition Milgazia..." Xellos said meekly as he forced himself to slowly sit up from his place on the floor.

The golden dragon turned away and headed back into the kitchen, and a small smile tugged at his lips.

"Let's just say I know what you've been through."

Filia glanced at Xellos who sheepishly smiled up at her. He placed his hands in his lap and fiddled a little with his gloves.

"What does he mean?" she asked.

"I…" he hesitated as another flash of pain took him. "I was mean to Milgazia before."

"And he's still helping you?" she shook her head in amazement.

"He's strange," Xellos said impassively. He didn't care why the elder decided to help him. All he cared about was that at the moment he was free to think without being tormented… It hurt. He couldn't let himself think about the pain.

"The clock… can I play with it now?"

Filia picked up his staff off the floor and held it out to him. He shied away from it.

"Please don't…" he whimpered. He cringed and grasped his aching torso. "Stop it… stop…"

"Oh Xellos," Filia said quietly as she moved the staff away from him. "What happened to you..?"

More notes: This was another easy chapter to write, but unfortunately my inspiration usually doesn't last very long. Must keep writing…


	3. What's on the Inside

Author's notes: I bet you weren't expecting another chapter up so soon! I know I sure wasn't, but I stayed up until midnight last night writing this one. Sorry, but it seems like my inspiration boost is starting to dissolve. I'll keep writing, but things might start to slow down a little from here on out.

**What's on the Inside**

Milgazia wasn't quite sure why he had helped his long hated enemy, but as he watched Xellos continuously toy with the clock he had taken off the wall, the golden dragon felt something that no monster could ever feel. It was pity. He knew Xellos' future now was as unclear as the waters of the Demon's Sea.

His acquaintance, Filia, appeared shaken by the recent turn of events. She had never shown any fear towards the Beast Master, yet she was afraid. He recognized this, though her fear stemmed more from concern and confusion than actual fright.

"Is he going to be ok now?" she asked in a soft whisper.

"The truth is, I'm not sure if he will ever be ok," Milgazia replied truthfully.

Xellos looked up from the clock, smiling his normal closed-eye happy smile. He had heard them both dragons realized.

"Well, I'm not Deep," the monster said setting the clock down on the table. He felt the pain inside him beginning to stir. No. He must not think about those things.

"Deep?" Filia questioned glancing at Milgazia who was beginning to get a little restless. He had never been away from the valley for such a long period of time before. He wanted to return, but he couldn't let Filia remain here by herself with the Beast Master.

Filia noticed this and she rested her hand on his shoulder in a reassuring gesture.

"You should return to the valley elder. I'll be fine here."

After a bit of hesitation he started for the door. "Very well," he said. "But if anything happens, don't be afraid to seek me out."

Filia went to the door and watched Milgazia slowly make his way down a trail that led away from the town. When he was out of sight, he transformed into his golden dragon form and took to the air. He soon became nothing more than a golden speck against the clear blue sky.

Xellos stood watching the fading Milgazia from behind her. When she turned around however, she was startled to find him so close and took a step back. What was she thinking being left alone with a crazy monster?

"He's gone…" Xellos whimpered as another pang struck him. He gasped and clutched his chest tightly. "Filia…"

The golden dragon guided him back inside and sat him down on her sofa. He drew closer to himself and stared intently down at the floor, trying to block everything out. It couldn't hurt if it was nothing…

Filia returned to the kitchen and began boiling another pot of tea. She was worried. If Xellos had another attack, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to help him or not. Her eyes wandered back to Valgarv's egg that was still resting peacefully by the window. The sunlight was falling on it. She reached out and touched it lightly. It was warm.

Before she met Valgarv, everything had been so much simpler…

The kettle let out a piercing whistle, and Xellos screamed in agony from the other room. Filia quickly removed the kettle from the stove before hurrying to the monster's side. He was gripping his head, with his eyes squeezed shut, and screaming over an over. Had the whistle made him react like this?

"Xellos," she said softly, reaching for one of his arms. He drew back from her. His eyes snapped open and he managed to choke down another tortured scream.

"F-Filia…" he stammered. "It hurts… Make it stop… Please…"

What could she do? Filia's eyes searched the room hoping to find the answer, and suddenly it came to her. She dashed back into the kitchen and grabbed the clock off the table. It was funny how the clock seemed to have a calming affect on him. She brought it back into the room and held it in front of him. His eyes lit up and he reached out and took it.

"Oh," he said as he watched the hand on the clock tick by. "There's still time."

"Do you want some tea Xellos?" Filia asked still sounding a little unnerved.

"No… no tea," he replied as he turned his head in the direction of the kitchen. "It stopped…. was it me?"

"Don't even think about that!" Filia snapped at him, and he flinched. All of this day's stress was beginning to get to her. She calmly reminded herself to be more patient with Xellos as she went back to the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea.

When she returned to the room, Xellos was standing by the sofa. The clock was still in his hand, but he wasn't watching it anymore. He was watching her.

"Are you mad at me?" he asked. There was a hurt in his voice that Filia couldn't ignore.

"Of course not," she answered.

She couldn't help noticing the way he was standing. It looked as though he was being weighed down by an unbearable force. She took a sip some the tea cup she held in her hands. Should he be up after that ordeal? She had to wonder…

Going to her shop tomorrow to check on things was probably out of the question. She had left Grabos in charge so she could visit with Milgazia, but now she had to keep an eye on Xellos. Even if she could slip away for a few moments, she would be worrying about him the whole time.

When did she start feeling responsible for him?

"Why don't you lie down for a bit?" Filia suggested.

The clock slipped from his hand and crashed against the floor. His eyes widened and he backed away from her until he had pressed himself against the wall. He could feel it already as the memories began to tear into him.

"No!" he cried hugging himself tightly. "Not again…"

He had already had an overdose of pain that day… and taking anymore was insufferable. When it struck him, his legs gave out and he fell forwards. He closed his eyes, dreading the shock of when his body hit the ground.

Filia reacted without thinking. She dropped her tea and moved to catch him. He fell into her arms and knocked her off balance. She ended up on the floor with Xellos lying limply in her embrace.

At first she though he had fainted. He was so still. When he began to whimper in pain however she knew he was awake. She wanted to comfort him, but she wasn't sure how.

"I broke the clock…" he said weakly.

"Yes, I know," Filia replied in a gentle voice.

"You… aren't going to hurt me…?"

She looked down at him with a startled expression on her face. Where did he get that idea from? She thought about it and remembered she was still carrying a very heavy and potentially dangerous mace on her... but Xellos was a monster. Nothing physical could actually hurt him… could it?

After the battle with Dark Star, everyone had lost contact with each other. Before they parted ways however, Filia remembered noticing that Xellos seemed a little agitated. Before she could question him however, he vanished. She had always assumed he had left to wreak havoc somewhere else.

"How did this happen to you…?" she asked herself.

Xellos cringed and cried out as his being was torn away at by something Filia couldn't see nor comprehend. All she could do was hold on to him and wait for whatever was tormenting him to stop.

"You're trying to steal my secrets!" he wailed. "I can't… I can't…"

More notes: Ahh! I killed the clock in this one! I was tempted to call this chapter 'Good Bye Clock-san,' but I decided against it in the end. T-T Sorry Clock-san, the Slayer's world just wasn't big enough for you I suppose… Anyway, thanks for the reviews! I love them always.


	4. Relentless Affliction

Author's notes: This chapter is now officially up! I really didn't expect to finish this, but now that I have a few reviewers watching me I guess I have to. . >.> I have to right?

**Relentless** **Affliction**

Darkness had slipped in unnoticed as the two figures rested peacefully on the floor Filia had unintentionally fallen asleep, but the coldness of the night was slowly beginning to stir her awake. Her eyes slowly drifted open, and the first thing she saw was her kitchen table…

She sat up and took a look around. It was dark and she couldn't see very well, but this was definitely her kitchen. What was she doing sleeping on the floor?

"Filia's awake…" a soft voice said from the darkness. It was then Filia realized that Xellos was no longer lying in her arms.

She could see the silhouette of the monster that was standing by the kitchen window. The moonlight illuminated him, and she was able to see that he had something in his embrace.

She pulled herself to her feet and carefully moved towards him. He took a few nervous steps away from her and clutched the object closer.

"I didn't hurt him…" he said quickly, revealing that it was Valgarv's egg he was holding.

When she saw her Valgarv in Xellos' possession, she bristled instinctively and advanced on him. He continued to retreat until she had him backed up against the far wall. He held the egg out to her and cringed when she took it from him. It was only then, once she felt that Valgarv was safe, that she began to unwind.

"You shouldn't have done that Xellos," she scolded him as she cuddled the egg close.

The monster slid down against the wall, trembling involuntarily as he began to suffer once again from the affects of his past torment. It struck him over and over again, shredding him to the core. Instead of screaming his agony however, Xellos threw his head back and laughed. His demented laughs echoed through the house, and Filia clutched her ears against the twisted sound.

Filia wanted to go bury her head under a pillow and block out the noise, but instead she grabbed a hold of his arm and yanked him back to his feet. This startled him out of his madness, and he managed to suppress himself from making another sound. Why wouldn't the hurting stop? He winced as each internal blow bit into him.

"Are you alright Xellos?" Filia asked as she placed the little Valgarv egg back into the basket and took him away from the window. The window; it was still open she suddenly realized as the cold night's air gently drifted in. She turned back to Xellos in surprise. If he hadn't taken the egg away from the window, it could have become too cold and then… Filia felt sick just thinking about it. Even if ancient dragons where adapt to the cold, she really didn't want to risk having the egg exposed like that.

"Xellos you…"

"I was wrong!" he cried. "It was bad! I was bad…"

"No," Filia said gently. "I was wrong. I thought…"

How was she supposed to put this lightly? His insanity disturbed her, but he probably already knew that.

She thought about it as she closed the window. The moonlight still shone in, but it was still too dark for her to move around freely. She went to fetch a candle and decided that perhaps it was best not to say anything.

She rummaged around her cupboards until she found a candlestick. She lit it then placed it in a holder before carrying it over to the table. The tiny flame flickered and illuminated Xellos' amethyst eyes. Why was he watching her? Filia set the candle down before taking a seat at the table. She wasn't sure if she should go to bed or not. What if Xellos suddenly had an attack in the middle of the night? It probably already was the middle of the night.

If she hadn't taken that little nap on the floor, she probably would have gone to bed regardless.

Xellos was being very quiet. It was a little unnerving. His gaze had switched to something beyond the candlelight in the other room. Was it the broken clock? She thought about getting Jillas to take a look at it in the morning. If anyone could repair it, he could.

"I…" Filia began, but she wasn't really sure what to say. Xellos wasn't giving her much to go on. What did he want to talk about? They both couldn't stand around the whole night not speaking to each other… That'd be very awkward.

"What was I created for Filia...?" Xellos quietly interjected.

Oh no… It was the epiphany that followed insanity. She held her head as though she though a headache would form any second. How was she supposed to answer something like that?

Luckily for her, Xellos hadn't been expecting a reply. He continued, "Was it for war? I've done that. Was it for amusement? I've done that too… I've done everything."

"We all sometimes wonder why we were put on this earth," Filia told him. "Most of us don't know why…"

"I don't have a reason anymore," he said sadly. He bowed his head and felt a jolt of pain run through him. It was going to have to do a lot better than that to get the desired reaction… "Lord Beast Master hates me."

"You're exaggerating," she stated. When she saw the sadness in his expression however, she began to doubt what she said. What did she really know about a Dark Lord's relationship with the ones serving under them? "I mean, you're her only creation aren't you? How could she hate you?"

Xellos flinched and clasped his chest. If he hadn't been a monster, Filia would have thought he was having some sort of heart attack. He forced a smile and brought his free hand up and waggled a finger at her.

"That is a secret Filia," he replied in a hushed tone, as if he thought speaking any louder would destroy him completely.

She smiled thoughtfully at him as she got up from the table at hugged Valgarv's basket close. It was late, and no matter how awake she was, she knew she needed to get some rest for the next day. She took the candle with her free hand and started towards the stairs. She stopped when she noticed that Xellos wasn't moving.

"Are you coming?" she asked. Realizing that this was a little weird for both of them, she nodded to the basket she was carrying. "I need to put him to bed, and then I'm going to sleep. I don't want you down here by yourself."

She continued up the stairs and looked back to find Xellos following her at a much slower pace. She took Valgarv into her room and set him on the dresser across from her bed. He was only an egg, but still. She tucked him in and whispered a few goodnights before putting out the candle and getting into bed herself.

Xellos' presence in her room was far more uncomfortable than she had imagined. She opened her eyes a few times, and each time through the darkness she saw him standing in her doorway. He wasn't doing anything, but that was the problem. Finally she sat up and regarded him properly.

"You can't just stand there you know," she told him. It was late. She was beginning to get irritated. "Could you at least pretend to sleep or something?"

"Sure Filia," he said closing his eyes and settling on the floor. "I can pretend. I always do."

She tossed a pillow to him before turning away to sleep. Even though the feeling of having a monster nearby made her dragon senses uneasy, she was able to drift off.

When Xellos' accidentally woke her during the early hours of the morning by crying out against the pain, her first reaction was to throw another pillow at him. It hit him and he quieted a little. It was only a few moments later when she forced herself to get up, that she noticed the second pillow lying next to the monster. Puzzled, and thinking that Xellos might have taken it off the bed himself, she decided to just let it drop. She didn't need a headache that early in the morning.

"Are you feeling any better today?" she asked. His eyes blinked open, and he groaned as he lifted himself up off the floor.

"I can't feel worse," he replied wearily. "Sometimes I think I can, but when I do that..." He flinched and it took him a few moments to recover himself.

While she had been sleeping peacefully, Xellos had been fighting against the memories of his torture and the affect it had undoubtedly caused on him. There were physical marks of his struggle. Long cuts along his arms and across his body had become visible. They started fading, but Filia was still worried. What was happening to him..?

The monster hadn't noticed this however… When he saw her staring at him, he gave her a questioning look. She shook her head and managed a smile.

"I need to go to the shop today," she said grabbing some clothes from her dresser. With the bundle in her hands, she disappeared into the bathroom and shut the door. A few moments later, she came out clothed in a blue dress that looked surprisingly similar to her pink one.

She scooped up Valgarv's basket and headed downstairs with Xellos in tow. The sunlight was flowing in through the windows, reflecting the warmth of the day. It was going to be a good day today Filia told herself. The bright golden sun was a good omen. At least it was suppose to be...

More notes: This chapter gave me a hard time! I wanted to throw a shoe at it or something… I mean, I wasn't sure what to do with them until a brilliant idea suddenly hit me. Like a shoe. Let's get them upstairs! Yeah well, after that it was all good.


	5. Shattered Pieces

Author's notes: Thank you for the beautiful reviews all. Well, with no further ado, I give you the next chapter. Aren't I just wonderful at coming up with titles? Heh heh, well you can't say that I don't at least try.

**Shattered Pieces**

Why was he still here…? By all reasoning he should have left already. Of course, reasoning had escaped him some time ago, but he able to grasp onto at least one thing, a scrap of information that both confused and startled him. Filia didn't hate him anymore. In fact, she hadn't reacted violently towards him since the day he first appeared at her doorstep… wasn't that yesterday? It didn't matter because right now she had no negative emotions for him.

If this was the case then why did he stay? He even continued to follow her as she progressed towards the shop she treasured so highly. Xellos smiled at the bitter irony of it all. The once feared Beast Master; the one who killed so many golden dragons during the war, had no one to turn to but a golden dragon. It stung him just thinking about it, though that sting wasn't nearly as strong as another fact… He knew it was only through the Greater Beast Master's 'good graces' that no other monster knew about his current situation.

There was something else… it was pulling him, and suddenly something more forceful than his simple thoughts invaded him. He froze in his tracks.

"She's calling…" he whispered.

Filia glanced back at him and quickly came to a standstill when she noticed the horror-stricken expression on his face. His eyes where wide and fearful, and even before he said anything more, she knew.

"Lord Beast Master…" he murmured drawing himself closer. "She's calling… I can't ignore it… I have to go now."

The thought of what would happen to him if he returned clawed into him, and he screamed and fell to his knees. Filia ran to his side and helped him up. The people of the town were not used to such a disturbance. They were watching them strangely from a distance, from their shop's windows and doors.

"Xellos," she said under her breath. "We're almost to the shop. Please try to hold on until then…"

"Hold on?" he snapped wincing against another stab of pain. "To what? If you know please tell me because I'd really like to hear it!"

"Don't get snappy with me!" Filia responded angrily as she pulled his arm over her shoulders to aide him in walking. "I'm trying to help you if you hadn't noticed!"

She immediately regretted yelling at him. Xellos didn't trust her very much. She knew that and she accepted it. He was a monster after all, and monsters really couldn't trust anyone could they? But when he tensed and tried to pull away from her, she felt by some means rejected… She fought the urged to let go of him, knowing full well that in this state he probably couldn't stand.

"Look," she said calmly. "If you want to go back, I'm not going to stop you."

"I wish you would…" he remarked in a soft cheerless voice. "I really do."

Filia wanted to roll her eyes at this; Xellos still wasn't making sense to her. Instead of reacting however, she focused on getting them both to the shop. It took sometime since Xellos had lost most of his momentum, but they made it.

There were a few customers idling around the shelves of pottery, and Jillas was behind the counter. Filia couldn't see Grabos anywhere, so she assumed he was out back with the new pieces that were suppose to have arrived that day. Was that dust? Filia took a good look at the shelves nearby and sure enough, there was dust starting to gather. How many times had she told Jillas to dust that spot?

"What are you doing?" Xellos asked glancing up at her curiously with one eye.

"It's a force of habit," she replied truthfully. If anything was out of place, there'd be hell to pay…

Jillas bristled when he saw that Xellos was in close proximity to his "big sis." He didn't like the monster… Why was Filia letting him get so close to her and Valgarv? It didn't make any sense to him.

A crash sounded from somewhere in the back and Jillas paled. Grabos had dropped something and was proceeding to curse his frustrations. He obviously didn't know that Filia was standing there in the shop with her big heavy mace ready at her side. Jillas was too shocked to say anything, and it was already too late to utter a warning.

"Excuse me Xellos," she said sweetly, but it was obvious even to the customers standing nearby that she was ready to explode. Her eye twitch and she spoke through her teeth. "I have something I need to take care of…"

She let him go, and the monster stumbled back and ended up leaning against the wall. Filia walked with a fire in her step towards the backroom, pausing only for a moment to set Valgarv's basket on the counter. When she vanished into the back, Jillas, Xellos and the customers all waited to see what would happen, and what they saw was a large blur go shooting through the shop, out the door, and into the street. Filia's mace had connected.

"Ah! Boss!" Jillas cried helplessly from the place he was rooted.

Filia walked back into the room and brushed her hands off. The deadly mace was nowhere in sight, but she had a pleasant smile back on her face. The customers all decided that leaving was a good idea at this time, and they all began filing out.

"Sorry," she apologized to them on their way out. The people nodded to her while continuing their uneasy retreat. When everyone had left, Filia swung the sign to 'closed.' She had seen the mess in the back. This shop wasn't going to be open again until she got everything back in order.

With the shop completely empty of clients, Filia was free to chew Jillas out. The fox man knew this, and he coward as she strode towards him. It had only been one day… How could they possibly cause so much disorder in one day?

"The pottery ya order arrived…" Jillas said meekly.

"Yes I see that," Filia replied placing her hands on her hips. "And half of it has been cracked or damaged in some way! The box Grabos dropped has been completely destroyed, and now I'm going to have spend even more money on getting it replaced!"

She paused and waited for an explanation, but the fox man remained silent.

"Don't you have anything to say?" she hollered. "I only left you two alone in the shop for one day and this happens!"

Laughter interrupted Filia's rant, and she turned to Xellos who had been the source. His laughter wasn't mocking, and it wasn't crazy like it had been the other day. In fact, the monster seemed genuinely amused. She smiled.

"If you're feeling better Xellos, you can help me clean up this mess," she told him.

"I can't," he said moving away from the wall. There was an air of melancholy around him as he gave her a parting look. Lord Beast Master's call couldn't be ignored. He had to go. Even though every fibre in his being dreaded it, he knew avoiding it would be impossible. Before he could be overtaken by the wave of pain, he vanished from her shop to return to the place he feared the most.

"Xellos!" Filia called after him, but when he didn't answer her, she knew he had truly gone. Something weighed heavy in her heart, and suddenly the realization hit her. She might never see Xellos again… Why was she feeling this way? And more importantly, why did she care?

. "Um... Big sis?" Jillas began unsurely. The fox man had finally gained enough courage to speak. "Why was that Xellos guy here?"

"Because," Filia began. Her voice sounded a little distant, but Jillas decided not to make a note of it. "He's in trouble…" the words slipped from her mouth before she could catch herself. She hadn't wanted to admit that it was possible that his Mistress could want him dead… or worse.

"What can you tell me about the Greater Beast Master?" she suddenly asked Jillas.

The fox man looked at her strangely. "That would depend what ya wanna to know." He replied. "We never heard much because Lord Valgarv was never interested in those kinds of things."

"Tell me everything you know," she said.

Jillas sighed. "Well ok... Let's see… I heard that she was very devious, and that most of the Dark Lords could never tell what she was planning. She kind of kept to herself I guess, though just a few years ago she began dealing with the Hell Master." He grinned. "Although we don't have to worry about that anymore!"

"Is that all?" Filia asked sounding disappointed.

"'Fraid so," Jillas replied.

There was silence between them for a few moments. Filia knew he was wondering why she had asked him something like that, but what could she tell him? She was actually concerned about Xellos. If he didn't return soon she wouldn't be able to stop worrying.

After cleaning up the shop, she returned home with Valgarv and fell into bed. She placed the basked beside her and sighed as she stared up at the ceiling. Her mind racked for the answers to the questions that had been plaguing her that day, but she found none... There wasn't even a scrap of peace between her raging thoughts. Eventually her questions faded away, and she was able to drift to sleep; a sleep that was filled with dreams of the past.

Author's note: I actually think that this chapter… how should I tell myself this lightly..? It didn't seem as good to me. I don't know! Maybe I should stop drinking so much iced tea so I can concentrate more on what I'm typing. It's settled then! While I'm writing the next chapter, I won't be drinking iced tea.


	6. Apprehensions of Imbalance

Author's notes: Information anyone? Well here it is! I thought I'd put it a few chapters in because, well, it wouldn't have been very interesting if I gave everything away right at the beginning right?

**Apprehensions of Imbalance**

The cold hollow halls of the Greater Beast Master's castle were familiar to Xellos, yet it felt strange for him to be walking them on his own power. How many times had he watched the walls drift by him…? He hated being here. It reminded him of too many things he didn't want to remember.

He knew he should have appeared before his Mistress in her chambers, and the Lord of Nightmares knows he did try… But for all of those years of pain and misery, the chamber of his Lord had been his dungeon, and no one in their right of mind would appear in the center of their own prison. Of course, only someone crazy or suicidal would ignore the call of the Greater Beast Master. He was stalling, and he was painfully aware that he couldn't stand out in the hall forever.

"Stalling are you?" a voice as soft as silk whispered from behind him. Xellos spun around and was immediately taken back by what he had feared since he had left Wolf Pack Island; The Greater Beast Master.

The Dark Lord stood in the hall holding a cigarette delicately between her fingertips. Her golden bracelets jingled as she brought her cigarette to her lips for a puff. There was no indication in her manner that she was planning on doing anything that involved too much strain, though Xellos couldn't be sure. He never could read the Greater Beast.

"L-Lord Beast master…" he stammered nervously as he fell respectively to his knees. The pain was gone he realized. The Greater Beast must have extended her powers to him to block it off. This frightened him more than the attacks he had been suffering. At least with the usual excruciating pain he knew what to expect…

"You really have been a disappointment lately," she told him softly. Her calmness was disturbing, especially since Xellos had been expecting her to be furious with him for not returning right away, and she had left her chamber to speak with him. Maybe his usefulness had been completely used up and she was getting ready to kill him. As the silence wore on, Xellos began to truly believe this was the case.

The Dark Lord's expression was unreadable. She took another drag, and the smoke wafted over to him.

"How was your visit with that golden dragon?" she asked. The question had been straight to the point. Her words bit into him, and Xellos flinched. He already knew he had been condemned. The Greater Beast's eyes hardened as she waited impatiently for his excuse. When he couldn't come up with one however, she continued, "You do realize that I will not tolerate you running off to do whatever you please, especially so soon after your punishment."

"Yes," he croaked as he hesitantly rose from the floor. "I-I guess I wasn't thinking! I reacted too hastily and now I'm probably going to regret it, but somehow I don't think I can…of course you'll make me, you always do…"

The Greater Beast smirked at her servant's fearful babbling. She thought that he had learned his lesson that acting on his own whims was utterly intolerable. Unfortunately for Xellos, the Dark Lord was beginning to think that her message hadn't been clear enough. Perhaps it was time for another lesson, though she doubted he could get anymore messed up seeing as he subconsciously tortured himself. Still, it was much more amusing to torture him herself..

She took a step towards him and took pleasure when he shrank away from her hand. With her fingers clenched tightly around his throat, she dragged him closer. He whimpered as her fingernails tore into him… how long would it be this time?

"Xellos," she whispered as her magic began to pierce through his being. He cried out, but he kept his eyes fearfully fixated on his master. Suddenly, she let go and shoved him aside. Xellos felt his body slam against the wall, but he was too stunned to react.

"You are a disgrace to my name…" she told him flatly.

"All of this over Dark Star…" he said quietly as he picked himself up off the ground. "Dark Star… I told you Beast Master… I told you. I never betrayed you." His voice became pleading as he desperately sought some understanding from the Greater Beast, but he found none.

"You deny what you did then?" She asked not sounding the least bit amused.

"No!" Xellos cried falling back to his knees to grovel. "I don't deny anything! I know what you told me, but it became impossible! I tried to get some of Dark Star's power! I tried, but I failed!"

"Yes… and that was forgivable, but then you had to save the world didn't you?"

"I…" Xellos hesitated. This conversation was becoming dangerously close to the last one they had… the one before the pain. How many times had he tried to explain…?

"You told me that you wanted our Lord to destroy the world… not Dark Star…" he argued weakly. He couldn't win.

"I would have been perfectly happy with the world being destroyed by Dark Star," she said in a dangerously cold voice. "But you had to save your precious comrades didn't you..?"

Xellos was about to object, but the Greater Beast sighed in irritation cutting him off.

"It'd be wise for you to stop arguing with me," she told him. She enforced what she said by sending a massive shock through his body that tore away a part of his astral being. He screamed and fought desperately to gather himself, but there was nothing he could do. He already knew this, but he had to get it to stop… It would stop, but not soon enough… it was never soon enough. The Greater Beast was no longer in the mood for a meaningless dispute, and she had made this fact painfully obvious.

When Xellos had calmed down enough to listen, his master continued, "I can no longer keep what happened from the other Dark Lords Xellos. That is why I can no longer have you as my priest... and you can thank your comrades for that."

For a moment, Xellos couldn't understand what the Greater Beast had told him… Then suddenly it clicked, and he felt something break inside of him. This pain was the worst he had ever felt in his life, and it wasn't even physical… emotional turmoil was always worse. Maybe she was kidding. He searched her expression for some hint of mocking or wittiness that his master would sometimes show after she had gotten the reaction she wanted out of him. He found no such expression…

"Leave Xellos, and don't come back," she said. There would be no pity from a Dark Lord…

"Why don't you just kill me then..?" he asked feebly.

"Because," The Greater Beast began as she turned away and began walking down the empty hall. "I'm not that kind."

Once the Beast Master's mind had been made up, there was no way of changing it. Xellos' eyes followed her until she turned the corner and disappeared from his sight. All of the lesser monsters were no where to be seen… This matter hadn't involved them.

At the rate his mind was deteriorating, it wouldn't be long before he destroyed himself anyway. The Greater Beast could not take away his powers, for they had become his the moment she had split him from her being, yet he couldn't use them in this state. If what his master had said was true, the other Dark Lords, Deep Sea Dolphin and Dynast, would find out very soon and probably send some of their minions to destroy him to do the Greater Beast a "favour."

As he vanished into the astral plane another thought struck him. Actually, he was bombarded with several all at once. It took a moment for him to separate them all from the jumble, but when he did, nothing seemed possible for him anymore.

The people that he had dared to call his friends had unknowingly betrayed him. He had also let Milgazia leave without giving him any threats to keep him silent. The whole dragon race probably knew of his situation by now. Would they come after him too..? And if he had Dark Lords and dragons coming after him, how was he supposed to return to Filia? He couldn't endanger her... A twisted smile curved his lips. She had been worried about him at least, which was strange. What would she think now?

He wasn't sure how many times he told himself he couldn't go back to Filia, but for some reason he couldn't get himself to listen. I'll only stop in for a moment, he told himself. You can't. I'll be quick. You can't. I just want to say good bye. Why? I'm going to die; it's the right thing to do. You're a fool.

Xellos laughed at himself as he appeared outside of Filia's home. He had lost again. He couldn't win anymore. His thoughts had kept him from harming himself, but they were fading and the hurt was beginning to take over. The sun hadn't even raised high enough to make it over the mountains, it was too early. He stumbled towards the door, and then sat down on her porch to wait. He drew himself closer as he waited. The part of his astral body that had been broken and torn by the Greater Beast began to pulse the pain through the rest of him. He whimpered as it began to get stronger…

Lina wouldn't have said anything about the Dark Star event. She was a girl that lived in the present, why would she suddenly look back? Gourry… he couldn't even remember what he did the day before; he'd never remember something that happened years ago, and Filia seemed to be trying to forget… so then who? Amelia or Zelgadis? Would they?

"Ah!" he cringed. The pain was relentless…

More notes: Aw… . Now I've got to write the next chapter. The titles are starting to get a little funny don't you think? I come up with them after I'm done writing the chapter. I read over it, then choose a few words off the top of my head and play around with them until they make sense. It's pretty fun, but is it effective?

Posting two chapters in one day has earned me a small break I think. This is just a small warning I guess. I might not update for a while after this.


	7. Falling United

Author's notes: I'm back, oh and lookie, here's the next chapter. Yup, more chapter goodness in every box.

**Falling United**

The gentle warmth of the sun woke Filia who had slept restlessly all night. She slipped out of bed and into her slippers before stepping over to close her curtains. If it wasn't for her shop she probably would have stayed in bed, but she had a duty to keep it running. She got dressed before taking Valgarv's basket and heading downstairs for her morning tea.

Her slippers slapped against the wooden floor of her kitchen as she went to the cupboards to find a clean teacup. She glanced around the room and sighed. Once again she had fallen behind on her dishes... and now she didn't have a clean teapot to use. Instead, she settled with a cup of cold water and a piece of bread that was already beginning to harden on her counter. After tending to the shop today, she'd have to run out and get a few things… after cleaning up the broken clock and doing the dishes of course.

With Valgarv's basket in her arms, she left the house and tripped over something that had been sitting just outside her door. She yelped and fell forwards, curling around Valgarv's egg to protect him from the fall, and hit the ground. Stunned, she lay there until worry set in and she got to her feet and looked over the egg to make sure it hadn't been harmed. She turned around and saw exactly what she had tripped on. It was Xellos.

At first she was relieved, but relief soon turned to anger. What the heck did that monster think he was doing tripping her like that? He probably knew she would do something clumsy… stupid piece of monster filth...

"What are you doing here in front of my house Xellos?" she snapped before she could stop herself. Of course he didn't know what he was doing. Why couldn't she remember that? Oh Ceifeed... She kept expecting him to be "normal."

"I don't know.." Xellos replied as he forced himself to stand. The tear in his astral being was making it's self painfully noticeable. He hadn't taken the time to repair himself yet, not that it mattered… He'd be dead soon. "Why am I here..? To say good bye? Yes. That's right. I remember now. Good bye Filia."

Filia gawked at him as he turned to leave. What did he mean good bye? She snagged him by his cape to keep him from disappearing on her; he didn't seem to notice that he wasn't going anywhere anymore. She sighed, and waited for him to regard her. After a few moments she became aware that he wasn't going to, so she pulled him back.

"You're not making any sense," she told him. "Where are you going?"

"To die," he responded. His voice lacked any emotion. It was like a part of him was gone…

"You can't really mean that," she said sounding a little dismayed that he would say something like that. He couldn't mean it, but his lifeless expression told her otherwise.

"Soon everyone will know…" he said through clenched teeth. His eyes squeezed shut and he fought down the need to scream. It hurt… it always hurt. Talking made it worse though. No. Talking about it made him think, and that's what tortured him, but Filia couldn't know this.

"Know what?" she questioned, and Xellos hesitated before replying "That's a secret Filia..."

"How can it be a secret if you just told me that everyone will know about it?" she demanded. Her voice softened a little. There was no use getting worked up over this.

"I want to know what's going on Xellos…"

The monster sighed. She was right of course. What was the point of keeping these secrets anymore? Maybe he should tell her everything. It was strange for him to even consider giving up any information freely. Everyone will know... The whole damn world was going to know.

"Remember Dark Star?" he asked suddenly, surprising Filia.

"Well uh… Yes," she replied. "But I'd rather not." She looked down at Valgarv's egg with a peaceful expression on her face. It was hard to believe that only a few short years ago he had been a bitter half monster.

Before his mind could wander away from the subject, Xellos quickly continued, "Well I was supposed to get some power from Dark Star to wake up Shabranigdo…"

"Yes you told everyone that," Filia interjected, and she gave him the evil eye. "I didn't approve of course." She saw the pained look on his face and immediately grew silent. He was struggling to keep his wits about him through the torment that was raging inside his body.

"I failed, but that was ok. Lord Beast Master said so. She changed her mind. She wanted Dark Star to destroy the world. I pretended I didn't know, but I did. I don't know why I decided to keep going. Maybe it was what Valgarv said, or maybe it was you..." he paused for a moment and forced himself to smile. "Anyway, she got mad and tortured me for a few years. I deserved it. I know that. But then when she told me I could leave, I came straight here and now everyone will know what I did it, why I saved the world. It was for you Filia… I did it for you. I did it for Lina, and Gourry, and for Amelia and Zelgadis, ok maybe not Zelgadis, but mostly for you…"

He stopped and swallowed down a cry. He hated hurting like this. Why wouldn't it stop? After a few quick breaths, and coming to the realization that breathing was both painful and pointless, he continued.

"Now everyone is mad at me. Monsters don't save worlds, especially for our enemy. It's not supposed to happen, but it did. I made it happen. Lord Beast Master thinks I betrayed her. I didn't. I could never... But that's what she thinks and I can't change that!"

He fell forwards to his knees and brought his hands up to his face. His hands were shaking… He cried out; it was a cry filled with the pain of hopelessness.

Filia had never seen Xellos break down like this before, not that she could blame him… She had lost everything too, but she had the unhatched Valgarv egg to cling too. Even then, she couldn't imagine how she would have felt if Milgazia and the Clan that served the Water Dragon King had rejected her…

"How could you say that everyone is mad at you?" she asked, forcing Xellos to consider her. "You don't know how the other Dark Lords feel about it do you? You haven't even talked to them, am I right?"

Xellos let his hands slip away from his face and gave her a startled look. Why would she say something like that? In the eyes of his master he was a traitor to not only her but his whole race. Of course the other Dark Lords would feel the same way. That's why Lord Beast Master had gotten rid of him when she did…

"They won't talk. The facts are there. Already there… They're going to kill me…" He visibly flinched at the idea. A few hundred years ago he never would have guessed that circumstances would lead him to die like this. It was ironic how he had helped kill a traitor of his race only to be labelled a traitor himself.

If Garv was still alive, Xellos would have killed himself right then and there…

"I've got to go… before they come," he said as he slowly pulled himself to his feet.

"You don't even know if they're coming," Filia argued. She wasn't even sure who Xellos meant by "they" though she doubted it would actually be the Dark Lords themselves. Maybe Xellos was just being paranoid… though if a powerful monster did show up on her doorstep, she wasn't sure what she could do. Despite being a fairly powerful ex-priestess, if Xellos was able to absorb her most powerful magic attack, 'Chaotic Disintegrate,' then another monster could probably do the exact same thing.

She wasn't given anymore time to think about it. A man had appeared in the sky. At least he looked like a man, but Filia's senses told her otherwise. She glanced at Xellos who had moved to her side. She couldn't read his expression, but the way he held his arms close to himself she could tell he was hurting.

"See Filia? I said so. They're hunting already," he said trying desperately to keep himself from sounding anxious.

The monster in the sky drew his sword and pointed it strait at Xellos. His lips curled into a smile as his ice blue eyes swept over the two standing below him.

"A golden dragon," he stated shaking his head. "Just a simple everyday lizard, I can't believe you'd fall for such a creature…"

At first uncertainty had kept Filia rooted in place, but the monster's comments hit her dead on and she began to shake with fury. How dare a stupid no good rotten monster say that about her? If she was any stronger she would have blasted that monster into the next world...

"Now, who should die first? The traitor or the traitor's pet?" the evil intent in his voice made Filia snap out of it. She glanced down at the basket in her arms and suddenly the urge to get away became unbelievably strong. She had to escape to protect Valgarv. In a blur of movement, his target had been made, and both of the monsters had vanished.

"_If anything happens, don't be afraid to seek me out."_

Milgazia's words echoed clearly through her mind. Would he be willing to watch Valgarv for her? She didn't feel comfortable trying to deal with this mess with an egg in her care, and as far as she could tell, the monster only seemed interested in her and Xellos. She needed to get to the Kaakato Mountains, though the prospect of putting her fellow dragons in danger deeply troubled her, there weren't many options right now.

Another something else suddenly struck her, something she had overlooked until now. Xellos didn't have a weapon. His staff was still in her house. After he refused to take it, she put it in the closet for safekeeping. Before she could think about what she was doing, Filia had torn back into the house to retrieve the staff. A table was knocked out of the way and she nearly ripped the door off its hinges. Good, the staff was still there. She brought it back outside, but Xellos and the other monster were no where in sight.

"Xellos!" she called hoping beyond hope that he could hear her from wherever he was.

"Looking for this?" the voice of the other monster questioned callously.

A tear opened up a few meters away, and Xellos was tossed out of the astral plane. Filia gasped. Her eyes grew wide when she saw how badly beaten and torn up he was. She wanted to go to him to reassure him, but before she could even muster the strength to take a step, his body broke apart and he was gone…

The other Monster started towards her. Filia clutched Valgarv's basket closer and stared down the assailant. She held Xellos' staff as a weapon; she was determined to protect herself and Valgarv. Tears pricked her eyes. He was gone… She couldn't believe it…

In a blur of motion, the monster wielding the sword was in front of her. She didn't even have time to scream. She felt the cold demonic sword strike her in the neck, and everything suddenly faded into white light.

More notes: You can tell who my favourite character is when… I kill them or torture them to insanity. Makes me wonder what I'd do to my second favourite guy. Anyway. That's the end. I'm done… just kidding. P (Milgazia you are my idol! Uh oh… better run!)


	8. Urgency of Response

Author's notes: I just thought I should put a reminder about the disclaimer. Go left, take a right, and head strait for the first page. You can't miss it! The next chapter is up and ready to read! Please fasten your eyes to the screen and keep your pupils in at all times.

**Urgency of Response**

Why was time passing so slowly…? It was unusual for a monster to be thinking that, since a day was really like a moment for creatures that lived so long, yet it had been the longest day of Xellos' existence. He had been thinking that about everyday for three years now…. since Dark Star.

Everything felt light somehow. He was worn out, and he could swear the golden light of the Lord of Nightmares was coming to claim him. It was a peaceful feeling, and he could have been satisfied if only Norst hadn't gone after her. If she would have been safe he could have died in peace.

He was too far gone. Most of him had already disintegrated back into nothingness, which was a monsters' eternal dream. Everything was fading, except for his staff. His eyes widened as he watched it suspended in the void which was to become his death bed, and focusing every part of him that remained, he clung to his staff in hope of somehow regaining his body.

Death was supposed to be cold, but she felt warm… A stab of pain from her neck brought her back from unconsciousness, and her eyes flew open. All she could see was the sky. Startled, she tried moving, but someone was holding her. She looked back a little more and saw the worried face of a very familiar monster.

"Xellos..?" she questioned. He was dead. How could he still be here? Maybe she was dead, but she had always thought death was supposed to be painless. Her neck was killing her.

"Norst got you Filia," Xellos said; his voice was filled with something that sounded an awful lot like regret. "I'm sorry…"

"You're sorry…?" She remarked softly in disbelief. She wanted to yell at him, but she couldn't get her voice any louder. He had been the one that almost died, not her. Why was he apologizing? At that moment, realization set in. She had been attacked…

"Where are we?" she demanded. "Where's Valgarv?"

She felt something running down her neck and she raised her hand to swipe it away. Her white glove became stained with her own blood, and she stared at it in disbelief. She had never bled like this before. Now she was even more worried, and Xellos still hadn't answered her!

"Where's Valgarv?" she repeated a little more urgently.

"I'll find you help Filia," Xellos said. "Norst saw a dragon, so he wouldn't find you with more dragons. I'll get you to Milgazia. He'll heal you. I know he will. He's weird like that."

"Xellos," Filia snapped in a hushed tone. She grabbed the monster by the collar and forced him to look at her. "Where is Valgarv?"

He adverted his eyes from her. She couldn't tell what he was feeling anymore, but she knew he was keeping something from her. If Valgarv's egg had been harmed, she would never forgive herself.

"I don't like seeing you dying," he told her, and Filia let go of him.

"Stupid monster," she murmured. "I'm not dying…"

Her vision started to blur and she began feeling light headed. She took another look at her blood soaked glove. How bad was her wound? She couldn't see it herself, but she was beginning to feel the affects of a massive amount of blood loss she was experiencing, but she wasn't going to let herself die. The unborn Valgarv still needed her.

The mountains came into view, and Xellos flew towards them with the speed only a hunted creature could have. They would be there soon, but Norst wouldn't be too far behind. Dynast'spriest was no amateur,even with asword. It was amazing that they had gotten this far. Xellos was anxious. Where was thepriest of the Dark Lordof the North? There was no possible way they could escape him so easily.

Filia was already beginning to drift in and out of consciousness. That was a dangerous thing for someone to do, or so Xellos understood. He couldn't let her do that. She needed to stay with him. Unfortunately he hadn't taken the time to repair his astral self from the last attack. He was beginning to slowly come apart, and it was excruciating.

"F-Filia," he stammered as he forced his mind elsewhere. He couldn't think about the ache right now. He needed to keep moving. "Ask me something Filia. Ask me anything, any secret."

"How did you survive back there Xellos...?" she mumbled only half aware of what was going on.

"It was the staff," he replied flinching as another stab of pain tore through him. Was his astral body really disappearing..? He shook his head and continued, "It saved me. I escaped my body and went to the staff which also carries a part of me. Using all those parts I saved, I was able to come back and save you. You were bleeding. I struck Norst and ran with you. He was surprised. He thought I died too, I almost did… Almost.."

"So we're not dead?" she questioned sleepily.

"Not yet," he said. They had just entered the maze outside of the Mountains. It was a different way than before, but Xellos still knew it. He knew every angle to the valley. It had been a game before, a game he was now glad he played.

"Where's Valgarv…?" she asked again, and Xellos sighed. He didn't want to tell her. Not really. He didn't have enough hands to carry him, and he had reacted very quickly to save Filia.

"Safe. Promise," he replied, and that seemed to satisfy the weary Filia. She closed her eyes and became lifeless in his arms. If she hadn't still been breathing, Xellos would have thought she was dead. Her shallow breaths gave him hope however, and he pressed on.

The path he had taken opened to a ledge that overlooked a part of the valley. There were dragons dotting the valley black and gold, but the sky only held a few of them. Xellos wasn't sure what to do. There wasn't a very good chance that Milgazia was in the sky at the moment, and no other dragon would approach him… would they? They should all know by now. Maybe he had just given himself up to another race that wanted him dead. He glanced down at Filia bleeding freely in his arms, and he knew that it didn't matter. At least she wasn't a lost cause like he was.

The smell of golden dragon blood alerted the dragons in the valley. They roared their anxiety before taking to the sky. Xellos hadn't realized that Filia's blood was on him. She was bleeding, and that's all he was worried about. Golden dragons had a lot more blood than mortals, he would know, but she had already lost so much. If she had been human she would already be dead.

He called to the dragons that were flying overhead. It didn't matter what they thought, just as long as Filia got the help she needed. Then he would either be dead or hunted again. Xellos was startled when the dragons kept their distance. They couldn't really still be afraid of him like this… Hadn't Milgazia told them how useless he had become?

The elder dragon was the only one who landed on the ledge. A bold move apparently… He reviewed the scene before him before shrinking down into his human form. He took a few uncertain steps forward, but stopped before he could get too close to avoid a spell if needed.

"Were you the one who did this to her Xellos?" he asked coolly.

Xellos looked down at Filia who was beginning to turn pale in his arms. She told him she wasn't dying… she lied. He brought his eyes back up to stare down the accusing elder dragon.

"Oh yes, I tried to kill her and failed, so I brought her here," he said sarcastically, holding Filia out to him. He flinched; something wasn't right. He felt his astral body begin to tear apart again. It hurt so much… "Hurry Milgazia. Better save her from me…"

The elder dragon accepted Filia from the monster. She was limp, and her breathing had become very shallow. Her blood had soaked into the top of her dress, and Xellos had gotten some on his shirt and his hands. Her blood was on his hands. Milgazia sighed. That wasn't anything new. The monster had hundreds of his peoples' blood on his hands.

Milgazia laid the young golden dragon on the ground and knelt over her. He closed his eyes and summoned a resurrection spell to his hands. It wasn't too late yet. She still had life in her.

Xellos stood back and watched him from a distance. The last thing he wanted was to get in Milgazia's way. All he could think about as he watched Filia bleeding on the ground was how much he wanted Norst to pay. He no longer felt the eyes of the other golden dragons on him. They didn't matter.

Moments passed painstaking slow. It felt as though time was dawdling on purpose just for this period. The blood from Filia's neck had finally stopped flowing and the wound was beginning to heal. Milgazia relaxed. She was going to be just fine.

Big blue eyes blinked up at him, and he smiled. How many times had he wished to save those who had fallen during the war only to have arrived too late? He helped her sit up. She glanced around at all of the curious dragons who had taken to flying circles overhead. It was unusual for her to see so many of them in their dragon forms. Growing up in the temple, she had grown accustomed to seeing her fellow dragons mostly in their human forms. The concerned elder was still hovering over her… she must have been out for a while.

"How did I get here?" she asked still in a daze.

"Xellos brought you," Milgazia replied. He wanted to hear what happened from her prospective, though he wasn't going to push her to answer any questions.

Everything suddenly flooded back to her. Xellos "dying," her getting attacked by a strange monster with a bitter cold sword, and waking up not knowing what had happened to Valgarv. She still didn't know where he was! If Xellos didn't tell her soon, she was going to throttle him she decided, even though he did save her from the monster that had attacked them both.

"Mr. Milgazia!" A voice cheery voice called from below the cliff. "Is everything alright?

"Ok... somebody better tell me what's going on…" another voice huffed.

"Are you ok Lina?" someone else asked.

"I just ran across the entire valley!" she snapped. "I thought there'd at least be total chaos or something."

"Miss Lina! Total chaos is not something you should be hoping for!"

Filia quickly got to her feet and ran to the edge of the cliff. Below her, Lina, Gourry, and Amelia were all gazing up at the ledge. When they saw her, it was smiles all around. It had been a while since Filia had seen them, and they seemed happy to see her.

"Miss Filia! What are you doing here?" Amelia called waving up at her.

"These are the Kaakato Mountains and I am a dragon," she responded wryly. She was already trying to decide if getting them involved would be a good idea or not. She quickly made the decision to play it safe, at least for a while.

"How about you?" she asked.

"I came here on behalf of Seyruun to strengthen our ties with the dragons in the Kaakato Mountains!" Amelia replied. She really was too cheerful sometimes. The princess gestured to her two companions. "And daddy got Miss Lina and Mister Gourry to escort me all the way here!"

"Yeah, it cost him quite a lot," Gourry added.

"Yes it did," Amelia remarked sheepishly. "Daddy is going to be feeling this one for a while. I just hope Seyruun doesn't get too far in debt."

"Oh stop complaining," Lina said folding her arms behind her head lazily. "I told him it wouldn't be cheap to hire a powerful sorceress like myself."

They really hadn't changed since the last time she saw them. She turned back to Xellos who was already coming towards her. In his hands, he held the Valgarv egg that she had been stressing about the whole time. She took it tenderly from him. Now she was even more grateful. She fell into his arms, relieved that right now everyone was ok. It was all going to be ok… and the loss of blood from before really must have done something to her head. She was hugging Xellos.

"Um…" Amelia glanced at Lina who was staring up at Filia and Xellos with her mouth agape. "Do you think we missed something?"

"Missed something?" Lina shouted. "They gave us all that trouble when we were travelling together before, and now suddenly they turn around and decide they can not only tolerate each other, but they can also act like close friends?"

"Hey, that's Xellos!" Gourry suddenly realized. Lina nearly punched the swordsman in the face for his stupid comment.

Milgazia watched silently as the humans were reunited with their other two companions. He hadn't spoken about Xellos' 'condition' to anyone. It wasn't for him to say. His people were beginning to disperse, and soon the valley would return to normal. In the end all that mattered to him was the safety of the valley and the dragons within it.

More notes: I got a little carried away with this one, but the chapter practically wrote it's self. Some people might be wondering where Zelgadis is, and all I can tell you is he's not here right now. I'm not sure if he'll be in it or not actually… Right now I can see no logical way of including him in the story! Oh. And you might be wondering why I gave a priest a sword instead of a staff. Well there's a very interesting story behind that. I actually thought Norst was a general, but then I got some information that changed my mind. So he specializes in magic, but he's not too shabby with a sword either.


	9. Where Obstruction Leads

Author's note: It's the next chapter! Sound the alarm! I mean… have fun reading.

**Where Obstruction Leads**

Each time he lost a battle, something had been taken from him. He had lost the battle with his master, and that at first resulted in him losing his mind. Then he lost a second time and his title, his lord, and practically everything had been taken away from him. He had even lost the battle with himself, and that had nearly cost Filia's life. Instead she had lost her security, and Xellos knew that he could only be blamed for that.

Milgazia had done what Xellos planned he would do. The elder had always been very predictable, no, dependable. He was sure that Filia would be fine here, especially with Lina. The sorceress had killed Sherra, the other general of Dynast. If Norst did decide to attack Filia again, Xellos knew he could count on them being there to assist her. Now if only she would let go long enough for him to slip away… he never did like reunions. There was always too much joy involved.

She had gotten him to come down from the cliff to meet with the others. It wasn't right. He needed to go before he put everyone in jeopardy. Milgazia had followed them. He seemed unwilling to leave them unaccompanied in the valley.

There was a minor detail that Filia and Xellos had both forgotten about. They were both still covered in blood. When Amelia saw this, she was quick to get on their case.

"Mister Xellos! Miss Filia! Did you two kill something?" she demanded gawking at their clothes.

Filia hadn't noticed her blood stained clothing until just that moment, and she could scarcely remember bleeding. When she looked at her reddened glove however, she could recall the pain in her neck, and the blood. Wait… Did Amelia just accuse her of killing? She recoiled from the princess appalled by the implication.

"Of course not!" Filia exclaimed irritably.

"Yeah," Gourry said backing her up. "Lina's the one that kills things remember?"

"Care to explain then," Lina asked. The sorceress' eyes narrowed. She could tell something was wrong, but she wasn't sure what it was. She wanted answers, and no one could say no to Lina Inverse.

"Well…" Filia said casting an unsure glance at Xellos. His bangs were hiding his eyes. He was giving her no indication on what she should tell them. Lying wasn't an option and there was no way she could avoid it. The truth was the only answer, though she really wished Xellos would say it.

"I was attacked by monster."

"Really?" Amelia asked sounding very concerned. "So you mean all of that blood is yours?"

"How did that happen?" Lina questioned. More importantly, she wanted to add, was the monster still around?

"It was my fault…" Xellos rejoined. He sounded distant as he spoke, and he didn't raise his eyes from the ground. Lina thought this was unusual, though Xellos had always been kind of unusual.

"Oh Mister Xellos! What did you do?" Amelia asked.

"Everything wrong," he replied chuckling a bit. The pain had never left him. It had been stirring inside of him, and it was becoming difficult to control his response to the strain of constantly battling it.

"Yes, I've sure made a mess of things. It won't matter to me, but I let Filia get in the way. It's my fault, my fault again."

"It's not your fault Xellos," Filia was quick to argue. "I was the one that froze like an idiot…"

The monster cringed and clutched his aching torso. He didn't want to disagree because he knew he would lose, and when he lost something bad would happen. Instead he attempted to brace himself against the turmoil he felt clawing away at him from the astral plane.

"It sounds like you two have been pretty busy these last few years," Lina stated.

If she noticed Xellos' unusual hurt appearance, she didn't show it. "If there's a monster causing trouble, don't you think you should have gotten me involved a little sooner?"

Milgazia was growing more and more uncomfortable with each passing word. The elder dragon remained silent even though he was beginning to fear for the safety of the dragons in the valley. Something was tugging at him, and all of a sudden he knew what it was. It was the dread that dragons felt when they sensed the presence of a monster… and it wasn't Xellos that was causing this feeling.

Xellos saw the troubled expression on the elder's face, but he wasn't able to react. He could scarcely keep his physical form, and trying to do anything beyond existing at the moment would cause him excruciating pain.

"Norst…" he murmured sinking to his knees. It was the only warning he could muster. He couldn't stand anymore…

"Wait! You mean Dynast's priest Norst?" Lina exclaimed. She immediately waved away her little outburst. Of course a priest of a Dark Lord wasn't going to be a problem for the great Lina Inverse.

Amelia was very concerned now. There was definitely something wrong with Xellos, and even though it wasn't common practice for her to worry about monsters, Xellos was different. He had been their travelling companion after all. She went to stand by him while Filia, Lina, and Gourry prepared for an assault.

When Norst appeared from the astral plain, the only thing anyone saw was flash of movement. Amelia noticed the blur coming towards her a second too late, but Xellos reacted before his body had time to protest. He pushed her out of the way and took the hit himself, screaming as the demonic sword struck into him. Stunned, Amelia sat where she fell unable to move. The offending monster had been unbelievably fast.

"You are a fool," Norst hissed as he stared down his chosen opponent. He had been hoping to kill the girl before attacking Xellos to make the other humans hurt a bit. Instead he stood towering over the wounded form of his foe that had surprisingly saved the human girl's pitiful life. This attack had been for a human, not a monster.

Xellos was holding the sword tightly with one hand and cut his fingers as he did. It had pierced straight through his shoulder blade. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he returned Norst's stare.

"Get away from there Amelia!" Lina shouted, snapping the stunned princess back into reality. Amelia leapt to her feet, but Norst wasn't finished with her. His hand shot out and grabbed the girl around the throat.

"Hang on guys!" Gourry called as he charged at the monster with his sword ready in his hands. He was stopped by an invisible wall of power and flung backwards. The swordsman hit the ground and rolled a few feet before coming to a stop.

"Gourry you idiot!" Lina shouted as she readied a fireball to cast at the priest. It had been the only spell she could come up with on such a short amount of time, and she only meant to use it as a kind of distraction. The spell left her hands and hit the invisible wall, vanishing before it even got close to its mark.

Lina cursed under her breath, but Xellos wasn't finished yet thanks to Norst's little slip up. He disappeared from the end of the sword and reappeared much closer to his enemy. There was already a hole in his being, so it didn't matter that the sword was now almost completely through him. With one eye closed, he summoned a dark spell that shot from his hand into Norst's face. Dynast's general dropped Amelia and took a few steps back. He quickly recovered however, and readied his sword again.

Without the sword holding Xellos up, he slid back to the ground. He watched Amelia clamber back to her feet. She seemed afraid, but unharmed.

"Nice one Xellos!" Lina called. She wasn't used to seeing the monster actually doing something. The sorceress smiled in her determination. She had to get closer for her spells to hit their mark. She turned to Gourry who had wandered back over to her after picking himself up off the ground.

"Filia, you get Valgarv out of here!" Lina commanded as she gestured towards the mountains.

"But…" Filia tried to protest. She knew the sorceress was right, but she didn't want to leave. She couldn't take off knowing that her friends were in danger! "I can't leave you to.."

"We'll be fine!" Lina cut her off. "Gourry, give me your sword; I'll amplify it with an Astral Vine!" She cast a glance at the elder dragon as she caught Gourry's sword. "You should get out of here too. This could get a little messy."

Milgazia shook his head. "This valley is my home. I will do everything in my power to protect it."

The sorceress gave him an understanding look as the sword in her hands was enveloped in the spell. "Yeah, I thought so. In that case, I'll need you to retrieve Amelia when I break through that barrier."

"Very well."

Lina looked at Filia who still hadn't moved. The golden dragon was watching the battle between the two monsters. So far it seemed to be going about as good as it did before, meaning Xellos was losing horribly.

"Filia!" Lina snapped causing the golden dragon to refocus on the present. "Get a move on!"

Before Filia could give herself time to protest, she turned and fled towards the mountains. She hadn't felt this useless since the battle with Dark Star, and it was a feeling she didn't care to relive. There was no other choice. Valgarv came first no matter what.

With Filia safely out of harms way, Lina was able to focus at the task at hand. There was a powerful barrier that she needed to bust down, and a Rangna Blade was the logical solution. Then Gourry could rush in and by Milgazia some time to get Amelia away. Now if only her brilliant plan would work…

Author notes: I had to cut this one off so I could start planning the next one. I'm sorry, but this chapter gave me one heck of a headache, and I had writer's block like you wouldn't believe!


	10. Fatal Assumption

Author's notes: It takes so long to write and so little to read. Anyway, enjoy! And remember, it takes me about 4xs as long to write the chapter as it does for you guys to read it.

**Fatal Assumption**

Amelia wasn't sure what she was supposed to do. She turned to the others outside of the barrier; they seemed to be planning something. All she could do was stand still and hope that she would be forgotten by the monster general who was taking his time in dealing with his fallen prey.

Norst's sword was pointed down at Xellos' head. The general had a twisted smile on his face that made Amelia feel queasy. If she didn't try anything, Xellos was going to die… She had to do something!

"Source of all souls which dwell in eternal and infinite. Everlasting flame of blue, let the power hidden in my soul be called forth from the Infinite..." she chanted under her breath. The spell needed to be strong. She needed to by her friends some time.

The monster general regarded her lightly.

"Still fighting are you? I must admit I expected you to have run away by now…"

There was a fire in Amelia's eyes as she focused the spell. With justice on her side, she could do anything! This monster wasn't going to defeat her or her companions of justice! Well, Xellos really wasn't a follower of justice, but after the battle with Dark Star, she was sure justice could make one exception.

"Ra-Tilt!" she shouted as the blue flame leapt forward. Norst smiled as he vanished from his place. The spell darted past and the general reappeared with his sword raised over Amelia.

"To slow!" he shouted bringing the weapon down. The princess was only just able to get her head out of the way, but the blade struck and entered her shoulder. Blood spattered everywhere and she cried out in pain before being flung to the ground.

Gourry swung at Norst with his enchanted sword, forcing the monster general back. Lina had broken through the barrier, and she was fast approaching with the Ragna Blade still in her hands. Milgazia appeared from behind the sorceress and went to rescue Amelia while Lina and Gourry faced down the monster general.

"Let's get him Gourry!" Lina said as she glanced sideways at her companion.

The swordsman nodded. "Yeah."

Norst smiled cruelly as the duo came at him. He focused on avoiding the Ranga Blade while he took out the sword in Gourry's hands. The swordsman watched dumbfounded as his sword flew across the battle field and landed far out of his reach.

Lina swung the Ragna Blade one more time, panting hard. Norst dodged it, and the spell dispersed. Before the monster general could use this to his advantage, Milgazia put up a barrier of his own, giving them a moment to regroup.

"How's… Amelia...?" Lina asked out of breath.

"I can heal her," Milgazia replied simply. His hands were up holding the barrier. "But not while I'm keeping this barrier…"

Norst took up his sword, and swung his blade at the barrier. Milgazia strained against the power of the monster general. One more hit, and the barrier would break.

"Hey Norst…" Xellos called weakly as he struggled back to his feet. His staff was in his hands, and he was using it to support himself. There was a large gaping hole in his being that nearly severed his arm. "Forgot me already…? You really are… too easily distracted."

The general watched his victim with a look of superiority. He turned away from the group behind the barrier and strode over to the weakened monster. With his sword in his hands, he smiled a devilish smile. This was what he had been waiting for. This was a glimpse of the old Xellos he wanted to see before the priest's demise.

Xellos glanced at Lina and she nodded slightly. The monster beamed at Norst before he reverted into his astral form and lunged. Norst was about to withdraw back into the astral plane to escape, but Xellos' being caught hold of him and held him in place.

"What do you think you're doing?" Norst demanded.

"You really are… too easily distracted," Xellos' voice repeated as Milgazia dropped the barrier and Lina came at the monster general with another Ranga Blade. The general had underestimated his opponents.

"Xellos you bastard!" he shouted before Lina's spell tore through him, and his being dissipated.

Filia had been watching from the safety of the mountainside. When she saw that the enemy monster had been defeated, she immediately left to rejoin the others… but something didn't feel right, and she soon discovered the reason why. Norst's form suddenly reappeared from below Lina, and the sorceress was caught unaware. She screamed as the monster's blade cut into her leg, but she managed to leap to the side before anymore damage could be done.

"Xellos made a nice shield," he taunted as he emerged from the ground. His eyes fell on Filia who stood off in the distance. His eyes narrowed and he readied his sword as he turned back to Lina who was clutching her wounded leg. Her hand was glowing. Soon she would be completely healed.

Gourry had retrieved his sword. He was prepared for another onslaught, and he had a serious look of determination on his face.

"You won't catch me off guard so easily this time."

Norst shot forward with his blade aimed at Lina, but Gourry intercepted. The two fought for a moment, and even Amelia who was barley conscious could hear the sound of metal clashing against metal. While Gourry was holding off Norst, Lina stood back and tried to form another plan. How could she defeat the Dark Lord Dynast's general?

Then suddenly the fighting stopped. The blond swordsman struck out with his blade and hit the monster through the neck when he saw that Norst was no longer attacking. Xellos' staff had appeared from the astral plane and impaled the monster general through the back. The general's head broke down and his body soon followed. Norst had finally been defeated.

"Yay Gourry!" Lina cheered as she hugged the swordsman from behind. "You did it!" When she realised that she was actually hugging the man, she pushed him away blushing. "What do you think you're doing idiot?"

"Huh?" Gourry said blinking in his confusion. "Hey Lina, where'd Xellos go?"

"How am I suppose to know?" Lina asked throwing up her arms. She took a good look at the battle field and saw the monster's staff lying uselessly on the ground.

Filia approached the group with Valgarv's egg still held safely in her possession. Milgazia was still healing Amelia, and Filia knelt down to assist him. The princess had been badly hurt, but her steady breathing was a sure sign that she was going to be alright.

Eventually Amelia's eyes fluttered open. She sat up and gazed at the people around her. Filia and Milgazia backed off to give her some space.

"Did we win?" she asked.

"Yeah," Lina replied carelessly. It had been no biggie for the all powerful sorceress; Lina Inverse.

The princess leapt up off the ground, suddenly brimming with energy. "I knew justice would triumph!" she announced happily.

"You should take it easy Amelia," Gourry suggested as he sheathed his sword that had lost its enchanted powers.

Xellos reappeared, startling everyone. His body was torn and beaten, and he had two large gouges running through him. One had been caused by Norst's sword, and the other had been inflicted by the Ranga Blade.

"Too much happiness…" he whined. "Headache.."

Amelia paled. "Oh Mr. Xellos! Are you alright?"

"I guess I did get him with the Ragna Blade…" Lina whispered to herself.

Xellos grimaced from his injuries, but managed a smile. For the first time in years, his mind had been clear. It had cost him a lot of energy, and he was in excruciating pain he was sure, but it had been worth it. His mind was already beginning to cloud over, but it had been worth it. The look he saw in Amelia's and Filia's face surprised him. Why did they look so worried?

"Mr. Xellos, you should really heal yourself," Amelia insisted.

"Can't yet," the monster replied. "Hurts…"

"What's that?" Gourry suddenly asked gesturing to the place Xellos' staff had been resting. All that was left was a few shattered remains of the once whole staff. It was breaking apart, and everyone stared as the remnants of the staff faded from existence.

Then Xellos began screaming. He clutched his face and stumbled backwards. Filia immediately went to him and put her arms around him. It did no good.

Amelia was about to prepare a recovery spell, but she wasn't sure what kind of effect it would have on the monster. She stopped herself and stood back. It was painfully clear that there wasn't anything she could do.

"What's wrong with Xellos?" Gourry asked Lina who was standing beside him.

Milgazia was suddenly behind them. After healing Amelia, he had gradually moved away from her and now he was standing near the duo.

"Surely you noticed his deteriorated state, especially when he was in his monster form."

"Huh? What do you mean?" The swordsman questioned.

Lina held her head. "The darkness that captured Norst before was Xellos' true form." She explained. "Didn't you see how much of him was missing?"

"Uh…" Gourry thought for a moment. It was a futile attempt. "No, not really."

The sorceress smacked him in the head. "Stupid jellyfish brains..." she grumbled.

"Ow Lina," Gourry whined. "What did I say?"

Milgazia sighed as he stood back and calmly watched the others. His home had been saved, and soon everything would be back to normal. At least that's what he could hope for.

More notes: Another fun chapter! I thought this one would give me trouble, but I was wrong. I wonder if I killed Norst off too quickly… Nahhh. He wasn't one of my favourites.


	11. Hapless not Hopeless

Author's notes: I think my program, has gone and changed it's self. Has gone off and changed it's self. La la la! Oh um…. Next chapter is here. Read. Please?

**Hapless not Hopeless**

"Has anyone else noticed how quiet it is?" Amelia asked.

The wind blew tumbleweed by. It was obvious that the valley was empty, and the dragons and the elves had sought refuge somewhere else. Everyone had been too busy fighting with Norst to notice, but as they stood alone in the valley, the haunting quietness came as a surprise.

Xellos had finally gathered himself enough to hold back his cries against the agony that the struggle had inflicted upon him. He had been loud enough to fill the entire valley, but now that he was silent, it became aparent that so were their surroundings.

"My people have moved further into the mountains," Milgazia said as he began walking away from them. He wanted to see for himself that everyone was alright.

As the elder vanished behind a wall of rock, Amelia turned back to Lina and Gourry who were lazing around after the battle. Seyruun's plans had been shattered for the moment. There was no reason for them to stay.

"So why was Dynast's priest after you?" Lina asked from her position stretched out on the grass.

Xellos' eyes were closed tight with pain. His gloves had dissolved off his hands, and it was taking everything he had left to keep himself together. Why was he fighting to stay alive? There really wasn't a point in him existing anymore. Filia saw these thoughts reflecting in his face and clutched him tighter.

"Miss Filia…?" Amelia said as she worriedly looked over the golden dragon's shoulder.

"Norst wanted to kill Xellos…" Filia finally replied.

"Well that was obvious" Lina said as she sat up from the grass. "So. What has Xellos done this time?"

"He did absolutely nothing wrong!" the golden dragon bristled, and Lina blinked back her surprise. She wasn't expecting Filia to readily defend him.

"It looks like a lot has changed from before," Gourry noted.

The monster tried to move away from Filia, but it was a feeble attempt. He flinched as a stab of pain that shot through him. It was stemming from his non-physical wounds. There wasn't much of his astral self left. The only way to ease the pain a little was to stop moving.

"She's laughing…" he croaked. "I know…"

"Shh Xellos," Filia hushed him. "Focus on healing yourself…"

"Ok…" Lina said giving both of them a funny look. "One of you needs to explain what's going on here."

Filia bit her lip and looked at Xellos. The monster's eyes opened slightly, and he opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Did he want to tell them? Or did he want her to explain?

"Well…" she began unsurely. When Xellos made no move to stop her, she continued to tell their old travelling companions everything she knew about their current situation. By the time she had recounted everything she could think of, including the part about Xellos unintentionally breaking her clock, she stopped. She was relieved in a way that she no longer had to worry about hiding it or handling it herself.

"Oh Mr. Xellos!" Amelia exclaimed teary eyed. "I didn't know! I kept carelessly rambling on about the Dark Star event to promote justice without knowing or even thinking how it might affect the people around me! It was a very selfish and unjust thing for me to do!"

"Amelia!" Lina shouted as she slammed the girl's face into the ground to shut her up. "You don't just admit something like that to someone like him."

Xellos lifted his head slightly to regard his old comrades. He managed to smile a little despite the waves of anguish that threatened to envelope him. Amelia was really too naïve, but he had already known.

"I already knew," he told the princess who was now nursing a bump on her head. "I don't care… It's pointless." He cringed, and suddenly the pain he had been trying to block out overwhelmed him. He would have screamed, but his throat had been shredded by his earlier cries. There wasn't much left of his physical body either… The only thing he could do was draw himself back into the astral plane.

Filia watched helplessly as he vanished from her arms. She stood frozen in place, her eyes staring blankly at where Xellos had just been. She was able to gather herself, and she quickly switched from holding the monster to hugging Valgarv's egg close.

"We've got to help Mr. Xellos," Amelia said glancing up at Lina.

The sorceress gave her an I-can't-believe-you're-serous look. Her eye twitched slightly when Amelia's hard stare locked into her own. The princess was serious.

"Look Amelia," Lina began, her voice rising steadily. "I've killed monsters in the past, but we're talking about the entire monster race here. If they want him dead, they'll get him no matter what. Just think about how much trouble the Hell Master went through to kill Garv."

"As the Princess of Seyruun, I hold myself responsible for what happened to Mr. Xellos!" Amelia declared as she leapt up from the ground and struck a dramatic pose. "That's why I can't turn away from this horrible injustice that has occurred due to my own thoughtlessness!"

"Well then, have fun Amelia," Lina said as she turned her back to the princess. Gourry caught her by the shoulder and spun her back around.

"We can help too right Lina?" the swordsman asked.

The sorceress' face showed her immediate frustration. The stupid swordsman hadn't taken in a thing she said. He probably didn't even know what was going on.

"Gourry," she said through clenched teeth. "Do you even understand what's going on here?"

"Well," the swordsman began scratching his chin thoughtfully. "I know Xellos needs our help."

"Mr. Gourry is right Miss Lina!" Amelia rejoined. "Besides, Miss Filia got herself involved, and she could be in serious danger too.We can't abandon our friends when they're in need!"

"Fine," Lina finally relented. She suddenly sprouted a grin and took out her money counter. "But this is going to cost you extra, and Xellos is going to owe me for this one."

Amelia slumped. "How can you be so mean Miss Lina..?"

The group began travelling in the direction they saw Milgazia disappear. Since Xellos had left them for the astral plane, they decided to wait around the valley for him to return. Besides, Lina and Gourry were getting hungry and they wanted to hunt down the elder so they might get something to eat.

Filia trudged along behind them. Her eyelids felt heavy and she forced herself to keep moving forward. It had been a very long and tiring day. She glanced down at the egg she held tenderly in her arms. Thank Ceifeed that they were both still ok.

When Milgazia saw them heading his way, he left the company of his fellow dragons to speak with them. He hadn't bothered to change out of his human form. The trees that grew around this area of the valley provided cover for his race, and the thick mountain walls offered a barrier between them and most dangers. Turning Lina and her crew away from their sanctuary would have been the safest and wisest thing for him to do, but he couldn't.

"You are still here," he noted absently.

"Yeah," Lina replied giving him a smug smile. "Sorry to disappoint you."

"That's one monster down and how many to go?" Gourry asked counting on his fingers.

"One? I've taken care of more than just one! What about Sherra, Phibrizo, Saygram , Kanzel, Mazenda, Dark Star and those two pieces of Shabranigdo?" Lina demanded. "Norst only adds to the list!"

"What about Mr. Chicken?" Amelia asked reflecting back to when they ran into the monster that looked like a chicken.

"I think I'll leave him off the list…" Lina replied dryly.

"You have killed many monsters," Milgazia said. He had to admit that Lina was a very amazing human. No Dragon King in history had ever defeated as many high ranked monsters as Lina had.

The sorceress seemed pleased with herself. "That's right! Any monster who's dared to face me, the great genius sorceress Lina Inverse, has ended up toast!"

"Toast?" Gourry questioned looking around the area. "Where? Where is it?"

Amelia got in Lina's face and wagged her finger at the boastful sorceress. "Miss Lina, you shouldn't take all the credit like that!"

The sorceress waved her away. "Fine fine. I guess you guys did help me a little bit."

Filia sighed. At least they seemed happy and not worried about being dragged into another problem.

The other golden dragons were continuing their day as normal. She envied them. After she had found out about her people's past, she could never bring herself to continue normally like she had before.

She didn't notice Milgazia approaching her until he was already standing by her side. The elder's concerned expression startled her. "You're worn out Filia, you should rest."

Filia became flustered by his concern. "I'm fine," she assured him. "Really, I'm fine." When he elder's gaze didn't lift from her, she got a little defensive. She wasn't even sure why. "You don't have to worry about me."

"You are a parent Miss Filia," Milgazia reminded her. "You should take this time to rest. It has been a very stressful day, especially for you."

"And you too right?" Gourry asked..

The elder paused for a moment. "…Yes. I suppose."

"Mr. Milgazia does have a point Miss Filia," Amelia stated leaving Lina's side. "You should get some rest. I'm sure being a parent isn't easy, and you should take every opportunity you can to relax and prepare yourself for what's ahead."

"Yeah," Lina said giving her a sincere look. "Don't forget we're here to back you up."

More notes: Getting the other Slayers characters in there has proven to be a difficult thing for me to do. I just keep getting writer's block when it comes to them! Meh. By the time I post this, I should be finished writing the chapters, so I guess I shouldn't complain.


	12. Bleeding Aide

Author's notes: This chapter was a pain in the neck! Wait. Wasn't that chapter eight? Hm. Well the truth is that I took two chapters of mine and edited them like crazy. Unfortunately when I did that they were both too short, so I ended up sticking them together. Here's the result of that.

**Bleeding Aide**

"Xellos!" Lina called as she searched around the valley for the monster. He had vanished earlier without a trace. It was beginning to tick her off. He always took off on them, and how could they help someone who wasn't even there? "Xellos, get your butt back here right now!" she snapped, startling the birds in the nearby trees.

The dragons reacted to her as though she had gone crazy, and the few elves that were milling about stayed well out of her way while the sorceress continued to have her yelling fit. Even Milgazia was beginning to get a headache.

"I wonder if Mr. Xellos is even around here anymore…" Amelia sighed. She was sitting in the shade of a tree, playing with a blade of grass. Gourry was snoozing nearby and Filia was sitting on a blanket, with Valgarv's egg beside her, sipping tea. Everyone but Lina was taking this time to relax.

"Even if he was, why would he come out with her shouting like that?" Filia questioned before finishing her second cup and moving onto a third. Nothing calmed her down like her favourite beverage, and right now she needed a lot.

Surprisingly the monster did appear, and right next to Lina who hadn't noticed his presence. He tapped her on the shoulder and she spun around to face him. After yelling at him for surprising her, she calmed down.

Xellos' no longer looked like he had been attacked by razor wire. The wounds he had gotten from the last battle had healed, but his staff was still missing. It would probably take him a while to create another one.

"I knew you were still around," she commented wryly. "So… are you back to normal?"

The monster didn't answer right away. He stood there smiling, and seemed to be thinking of a good reply. Eventually he shook his head and Lina slapped herself in the forehead.

"Well at least he's sane enough to know when he's insane," she thought out loud.

"Miss Lina!" Amelia called from the shade of the tree. "That doesn't even make any sense!"

"Shut up Amelia!" Lina snapped back at her. When she turned back to Xellos, he was looking at his hands. His gloves that had dissolved shortly after the battle hadn't been replaced. He seemed surprised. He couldn't stop staring at his hands.

Lina covered her face with her hand and let out a sigh. She had no idea how to deal with a mentally unbalanced monster. "Ok then. First of all we've got to figure out who exactly is going to be coming after you."

Filia put away her tea set and scooped up the dragon's egg before she and Amelia joined Lina and Xellos. Milgazia stayed where he was. This wasn't something he wanted to involve himself in. He glanced at Gourry who was still sleeping beneath the tree. At first he was going to wake him, but he stopped jus before he did.

"Let the ones who can sleep rest," he told himself. Besides, the others didn't seem to be missing him at all.

"Even though we have defeated many monsters, there are still some out there," Lina began to explain. "First there is Dynast. I defeated Sherra a short time ago, and now Norst is gone. This means that there shouldn't be any of his followers left."

She looked at Xellos to fill in anything she might have missed, but the monster was distracted. His eyes were closed and his head was bowed so that his bangs covered his eyes. He was struggling to rid himself of the pain that was again spreading throughout his body. It was like a disease. Why wouldn't it just leave him alone?

Even though he had taken time to heal himself, he still wasn't all there. He had repaired his physical body as best he could, and he had done a good job for his condition. The monster didn't want to distract anyone with his visible injuries. It hadn't taken long for him to hide his physical wounds, but his psychological scars still ran deep into his core.

He flinched when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Filia had seen him hurting, and was trying to comfort him. He offered her a smile, for there was one thing he had felt no need to fix, and that was his tattered throat. If he tried hard enough, he could speak to them without using his mouth.

"Anyway…" Lina continued. "Other than Dynast and his lesser servants, there is only Deep Sea Dolphin… And actually, I'm not sure how many followers that Dark Lord has. I don't know much Deep Sea Dolphin other than she resides in Demon's Sea. I guess she's been keeping herself pretty much in the dark for these last few hundred years."

"How do you know she's a "she" Miss Lina?" Amelia questioned.

"I've seen her before," Lina replied shrugging. "But that's not what's important right now. Amelia, stopped staring at me or I'll use a fireball on you!"

"When? Where?" the princess asked.

"I don't know, it happened a while ago," the sorceress replied.

"There's two," a voice echoed inside Lina's mind. It also reached Amelia and Filia.

"There's two of them; a priest and a general."

"So that's two monsters we're going to have to lookout for," Lina concluded.

"What about the Dark Lords?" Filia asked feeling a little anxious. It was one thing to have followers of the Lords after them, but if the Dark Lords themselves decided to attack, they would be in trouble.

"Since Xellos was The Greater Beast Master's servant, it's unlikely that she would come after him herself," Lina began to explain. "Actually, it doesn't even make sense that she would welcome the other Dark Lords to go after him. Xellos is a part of the Greater Beast. If he was destroyed, a part of herself would be destroyed as well."

"Wow Miss Lina, you sure know a lot about monsters," Amelia remarked in amazement.

"Well the monster race has been chasing me around for so many years, It'd be sad if I hadn't learned anything," she said.

Just then a sleepy headed Gourry shuffled over to them. He was holding his head, with his sheathed sword in hand. "Uh… what are you talking about?" he asked.

"Speaking of someone who hasn't learned a darn thing…"

"We should leave the valley," Filia suddenly interjected. "If there's a chance of us drawing another monster here we could endanger elder Milgazia and the others."

"Miss Filia is right!" Amelia exclaimed. "Staying here would be incredibly rude and unjust towards the elves and dragons living here!"

An expressionless Milgazia calmly approached them. "I will escort all of you out of the valley."

"He sure jumped on that one didn't he?" Lina muttered to herself.

They started back towards the outer edge of the valley with Milgazia in the lead. This day had been an interesting one indeed. The elder dragon looked at the surrounding mountains. There was no way around them. They'd have to go straight through.

"I'm hungry," Lina complained as they continued their march. They had just made it through a part of the mountains, but there was still a ways to travel before they'd be out of the valley.

"Isn't there a quicker route?"

"Yes," Milgazia replied. "But you didn't ask for that route."

"Miss Lina, you should be grateful towards Mr. Milgazia instead of complaining all of the time," Amelia chided her. "He's doing his best."

The elder glanced back at her. He seemed to be questioning her a little since this really wasn't his best. The truth was he did want them to leave before another disaster happened, but a part of him also wanted to hinder their progress. It was fun in a way. He didn't get humans in the valley often.

"Amelia is right," Filia said backing up the princess. She was letting Xellos lean on her. Actually she was making him lean on her.

The monster had tried moving on his own, but each measure of movement caused him to flinch under the pain he was continually inflicting on himself. He tried to protest when the golden dragon caught him and moved to support him, but she had insisted. The distraction worked. With Filia's body against his own, Xellos had suddenly forgotten his turmoil.

"You need to be more patient Miss Lina."

"Oh but can't I just make a small little hole in the mountains? It'd be so much faster that way," Lina asked giving them her cute innocent look. Everybody turned away from her, and Milgazia sighed. Sometimes he wondered about that human.

Night had settled in by the time the group emerged from the valley. The cool stillness that enveloped them was calming. Everyone except Lina stood there for a moment taking in the fresh night air. The sorceress was already leaving. There was no time to stand around. She was hungry. They needed to find some place to eat!

"Oh Mr. Zelgadis, I wonder where you are right now." Amelia said softly to herself as she stared up at the blanket of stars above.

"This is where we go our separate ways," Milgazia said as he turned back to the mountains.

"Thank you elder…" Filia said to his retreating form.

"Yes! Good bye Mr. Milgazia!" Amelia called waving happily to him.

Before he could take another step, the elder suddenly grasped his upper body and fell to the ground. The golden dragon didn't have time to make a sound. His eyes grew wide when he saw the blood pouring from a wound in his chest, staining the soil red.

A shape appeared over him, and he could faintly hear the sound of laughter before he lost consciousness. A monster had attacked him, and he had been careless enough to let it.

Author's notes: Lina stole the spotlight didn't she? Gah! She's so like that! Maybe I should have given her bronchitis or something. Milgazia is in my top ten at the moment, so I couldn't let him make it out of the story unharmed. Mm... twisted logic.


	13. A Shout of Light

Author's notes: I spent a long time staring at a blank page for this one… like a really long time. Writer's block will be the death of me I swear.

**A Shout of Light**

"Mr. Milgazia!" Amelia cried as she took in the horror in front of her.

Blood continued pooling around the elder dragon as he lay motionless face down on the ground. The monster above drove his staff into the elder's back, but Milgazia was already out. He couldn't feel the monster making a light attempt at finishing him off. This infuriated the princes who was about to fire off another Ra Tilt.

The monster was wearing an ice-white cape over an elegant blue uniform. The staff in his hands gave them warning that he was in fact a priest under one of the Dark Lords. He smiled a charming smile, but his sinister eyes were staring purposefully at Xellos

Filia was too shocked to move. Her hands trembled as she stared into the eyes of the one who so brutally took out Milgazia. He was looking her way, no, their way. Xellos was pulling away from her to face this new opponent, but she couldn't let him fight again already could she? He was still injured from the last battle, but if they didn't do something soon Milgazia would be dead.

"Ra Tilt!" Amelia shouted. She put all off her force into that spell, and it left her hands and flew right into the enemy monster. The priest took the hit, and stood floating in mid-air unimpressed. Before Amelia could try something else, a black shadow appeared and struck her from behind. The new spell in Amelia's hands dispersed, and she fell to the ground unconscious.

"Fireball!" Lina shouted. The large ball of flame shot forward at the priest. He easily dodged the spell and came to stand a short distance away.

"Amelia!" Gourry called loudly as he rushed to the princess' side. He had his hand on the hilt of his sword as he glared daggers at the one who had attacked his friends. "What did you do to her?"

The priest smiled and brought his staff in front of him, anticipating the battle. "I'll let you find the answer yourself." He shot forward and swung his staff at the swordsman's head. Gourry caught the attack with his sword and held the monster in place.

While the swordsman kept the priest distracted, Filia went to Milgazia's side. While Xellos kept watch, she summoned a resurrection spell to heal the elder. After a few moments, tears began flooding her eyes and she tried again, and again. It was no good.

Milgazia's eyes fluttered open and he managed to smile at the young golden dragon who was desperately trying to save him. He knew he was dying. It was getting harder and harder for him to fill his lungs with the sweet tasting air. "Save your strength…" he whispered before closing his eyes again.

There was nothing else she could do. Filia let her hand fall to her side, and she watched helplessly as the elder took his final breath. "Elder Milgazia…" she whispered softly. Filia had grown fond of him even though she hadn't known him long.

Xellos watched silently as Filia expressed her sorrow through her tears. She had gotten hurt, and once again he was to blame. How could he comfort her? It was his fault the priest appeared, it was his fault Lina and the others were involved, and it was his fault Milgazia was dead. With these thoughts plaguing his mind, Xellos cast a spell of his own and joined in the fray.

"Xellos...?" Filia questioned as she turned to where he had been standing only moments before. Her heart got caught in her throat when she saw him fighting the priest. She got up hugging Valgarv's egg close, and took a step forward. He shouldn't be fighting in the condition he was in.

"You shouldn't try to stop him," Lina told her. The sorceress was using a healing spell on Amelia. The princess didn't appear to have been too badly hurt, but Lina was making sure anyway. She smiled sadly at Milgazia's still form before turning back to Filia. "He's fighting for you."

"F-For me..?" Filia stammered. "But I'm a dragon. Why on earth would he fight for me?"

The healing spell vanished and Lina stood up. She dusted her hands off and turned to regard Filia. "It's because you've taken the place of his of lord."

The golden dragon stared at the sorceress dumbfounded. How could she have taken the place of the Greater Beast Master? It didn't make any sense to her.

Lina recognized through Filia's unconvinced expression that she hadn't gotten her point across. The sorceress sighed and decided that she really needed to find a more knowledgeable group of people to hang around with. It would sure beat having to travel with Mr. clueless and Miss innocent all of the time.

"You've become his purpose for existing Filia," Lina explained. "Before, his purpose was to serve his lord. When he was abandoned by her, he clung to you for a purpose. Without you he'd have no reason to live. Understand now?"

Filia nodded absently while Lina prepared a fire spell. It was startling how knowledgeable Lina could be at times.

"It looks like Gourry's gotten himself into some trouble again. Hey Gourry! Get up jellyfish brains!" The sorceress called as she aimed her magic at the priest. "Flare arrow!"

The swordsman was sitting with a shocked looks on his face. His sword had broken in half, and now he didn't have a weapon to fight with. Before Gourry knew what was happening, flames shot over his head and Lina was standing over him.

"Go protect Amelia and Filia ok?" the sorceress said to the baffled man.

"But Lina, I don't have a sword," he remarked holding up the broken piece of metal.

"I know!" Lina exclaimed waving him away. "Just go over there."

"Ah, I get it," Gourry said as he got up and started to leave the battle field. "I'm in your way right?"

"Good job Gourry, I can't believe you figured that out all by yourself," Lina stated.

She stood back to asses the situation. As much as Lina hated to admit it, she was weakening. The sorceress had already used two Ragna Blades, and using a third would probably destroy her or weaken her enough to turn her hair white again. At this rate, she was going to have grey hairs by the time she reached her thirties.

The priest was fast, and Xellos was only barley able to keep up as the fight dragged into the astral plane. When they reappeared, Xellos' body was beginning to break apart. He slid down to the ground and caught himself on his hands and knees.

"Finished already?" the priest asked sounding a little disappointed. He didn't notice the sorceress standing behind him until it was too late. With a Dragon Slave formed in her hands, she had gotten close enough to send it right through her opponent.

"Dragon Slave!" she hollered releasing the spell. The priest turned and put his arms up to defend himself against the blinding red light. The monster screamed as his body was torn away. The closeness of the attack might have finished him off if Lina had been at full strength, but the two Ranga Blades she'd used before were finally showing their after-effect.

Xellos managed to escape the spell while the others were hit with the aftershock. Filia sheltered Valgarv's egg while Gourry provided cover for the unconscious Amelia.

As the spell cleared, Lina was left on wobbly legs, panting to regain her breath. Her hair colour was beginning to fade. She had used too much energy.

Gourry noticed this and he ran to catch her before she fell. Taking the sorceress in his arms, the swordsman carried her away from their enemy who was still standing. There was a large gaping hole running through the priest's body, but he was still standing.

"I must admit that attack had me worried for a moment," the priest said as he began to re-gather himself. "But I see you're all out of energy."

Xellos appeared by Filia's side. He was on his knees since he couldn't force himself to stand anymore. He gave Filia an apologetic look before hanging his head guiltily. There was nothing more he could do. There wasn't anything anyone could do.

Suddenly, Filia found herself the only one able to stand and fight. Gourry was weapon-less, Amelia was out cold, Lina was very weak, and Xellos had already given it his all. Filia was the only one who hadn't fought.

She handed Valgarv's egg to Xellos and rose to meet the priest who was taking this time to repair his body. The monster smirked as she stepped in front of her friends in order to protect them. It was her turn now, and she was determined not to let this monster kill anyone else.

"Do you really think you can defeat me gold dragon?" he asked mockingly. He raised his staff which began glowing with power.

Filia closed her eyes and clasped her hands in front of her. She began chanting while the priest watched unimpressed. Killing her would be easy, he mused. Her eyes shot open and a light formed around the priest, holding him in place.

The priest tried to move but was unsuccessful. Still, he didn't seem worried. The spell wouldn't be able to hold him for long, and when he was free he'd kill them all.

"This is an interesting spell. Ray Freeze right? I haven't seen it in a while."

"I used to be a priestess," Filia informed him. She dipped her head and began to recite another spell. With any luck, this one would be able to finish him off.

"Chaotic Disintegrate!"

A huge amount of golden light blasted towards the priest who watched in disbelief as the spell came towards him. He closed his eyes against the brightness and struggled against the Ray Freeze that had him in it's hold. He managed to break free a little too late, and the powerful spell engulfed him.

When the golden light vanished, there was nothing left of the monster. She had done it, but what would it do? Sooner or later another monster would be after them.

More notes: This chapter took me the longest to write. My brain failed, and I had to resurrect it several times. I'm also starting to run out of title ideas… Not to worry, by the time my inspiration runs completely dry I should be done.


	14. Unforeseen Savior

Author's notes: Well guys... it's been fun. I guess I'll have to start planning something else after this. Oh no! The horror! Ehem... I love your reviews! I think I'll cut them out and put them on my wall! Oh wait... they're in the computer, so I guess if I was to do that I'd have to print them out first huh? And here I am too lazy to even post my finished fanfiction...

**Unforeseen Savior**

It took a while for Amelia to come to, and during that time everyone had gathered around Milgazia's fallen bloodied body. Lina was already up and about after taking a short time to rest, and Gourry was nursing the bruises to his face for when Lina had regained her awareness, she kicked and waved her arms to get out of the swordsman's hold. The poor man didn't have a chance then.

"How awful!" Amelia sobbed when she saw the elder lying dead in a pool of blood that stained his white clothing.

"There was nothing any of us could do," Lina told the princess.

Even though Filia tried to convince herself otherwise, she knew Lina was right. Even if they had gotten to him sooner, the wound he had received couldn't have been healed even with the most powerful healing spell. Milgazia had died right after helping them. The truth stung her.

"We should give him a proper burial," Amelia said as she brushed some of the tears from her eyes.

"The other dragons need to know," Filia spoke softly, but her calmness was suddenly shattered by a strong evil presence. It gave her the shivers. Xellos sensed it too and he went to her side. He placed the egg back in her possession before turning to face the woman who was coming towards them. His expression showed a mix of fear and dread, and it instantly put Lina on the alert.

The woman had long flowing black hair and wore a long-sleeved blue dress as dark as the ocean depths. She seemed content and kept a slow leisurely pace. Her eyes fell on the body Milgazia; she lifted her hand and his body vanished so that there wasn't a trace left of him.

"She looks familiar…" Lina mumbled to herself.

"What do you mean Miss Lina?" Amelia asked in a hushed tone. The state of her two non-human friends hadn't escaped her. They seemed very uncomfortable, and it worried her even more.

The woman had been watching looking elsewhere, but as she approached her attention fell completely on the group. She looked at Xellos and Filia first before regarding Lina. "You killed my priest," she said in a soft-spoken voice.

"That's what I was afraid of," the sorceress remarked. "It's been a while hasn't it Lord Deep Sea Dolphin? Let me guess, you're here to kill us for killing your priest."

"Miss Lina!" Amelia cried. "I thought you said the Dark Lords wouldn't get themselves involved directly like this…"

"Dark Lord?" Gourry questioned pointing at the woman. "Her?"

The Dark Lord smiled a small, almost shy, smile. "I came for reason other than killing any of you."

She turned to Xellos who had grown weak with worry. He was pale and looked as though he could collapse at any minute.

"A few years ago, the Dragon King Garv was killed by Hell Master Phibrizo. This not only resulted in the death of the labelled traitor, but it also killed Phibrizo as well." A look of melancholy fell across her face as she reflected on this. "I didn't say or do anything back then because my views wouldn't have mattered, but it looks like the Lord of Nightmares has given me a second chance."

Xellos was curious, but no amount of curiosity could rid him of his fear. Dark Lords caused pain. He didn't want to be near them, but he had placed himself in front of Filia to protect her. He wasn't sure what Deep Sea Dolphin wanted or what she was planning, but so far she didn't seem particularly interested in fighting.

"I think my race has forgotten how pointless it is to kill each other," the Dark Lord continued. "All we do is weaken ourselves when we choose to turn on one another. That's why I've come to let you know that I will not be following the path that my brethren have chosen."

"But you did get your priest to attack us," Lina reminded her.

"That was simply a test to see how determined you all were to live," Deep Sea Dolphin replied as she thoughtfully placed her finger on her chin. "His actions were his own. Maybe I was a little vague when explaining what I wanted from him."

"What did you tell him exactly?" Amelia questioned. She was standing a little behind Miss Lina out of the away of the Dark Lord. She knew her question was out of place, and that she probably wouldn't get an answer, but she couldn't let Milgazia's death rest until she knew why he died. Why did he have to die..?

Deep Sea Dolphin thought back and tried to remember exactly what she had said. She hadn't said much that day… so it didn't take long for her to remember. "I believe my exact words were "go get them."

"Hey if you're a Dark Lord, does that mean you're older than Xellos?" Gourry suddenly asked before Lina smacked him for his stupidity.

There was a pause. "Yes," the Dark Lord replied.

"Wow..." Gourry's eyes widened in amazement as he pointed a finger at Deep Sea Dolphin. "Hey Lina, this woman is ancient!"

Filia had listened quietly long enough. She was still angry over the death of Milgazia, and she blamed the Dark Lord. Even though Deep Sea Dolphin was a powerful monster, she couldn't understand how Lina could let the Dark Lord off so easily.

She opened her mouth to speak, but Xellos quickly stopped her. He could sense her resentment, and he didn't want her to say anything that could get them both in trouble. He gave her an apologetic look as he removed his finger from her lips. Xellos was right. There was no need to destroy the peace offered by the Dark Lord.

"Are you saying that you'll convince the monster race to leave Xellos alone?" Lina asked.

"Dynast is stubborn and the Greater Beast Master has cut herself off from us," Deep Sea Dolphin spoke quietly. "I don't know what I can do or how they'll react. I can try to reason with the Greater Beast."

"But… what I did…" Xellos said in an unsure voice.

Deep Sea Dolphin eyed him sullenly which caused him to bow his head in submission.

"It's true that you betrayed us by rescuing the world from destruction, so I can't say I'm against you being banished," she told him. "But to have you destroyed wouldn't be fair to the rest of us. Every monster desires to return to chaos, and to give you that escape would be like letting you off free."

Filia had never thought of it like that before. Being a dragon, she enjoyed life and the long existence she would lead. She didn't understand how someone could think about giving up their life to go back to something they couldn't even remember. Did Xellos really think this way? This sudden implication startled her, and she looked into the monster's eyes to confirm what the Dark Lord had said.

Xellos lifted his head to meet Filia's gaze. The look he gave her told her that Deep Sea Dolphin had indeed struck a nerve.

"So you're saying that Mr. Xellos is out of danger then?" Amelia asked. Her voice was light and filled with hope.

Deep Sea Dolphin turned to leave. Just before she vanished into the night she called back, "It would be safe to assume that for the time being."

"I'm glad that's all worked out," Lina said inching closer to the Princess. "Now, about what you owe me."

Amelia let her head fall as the sorceress began talking about a price. There would be no escaping Lina Inverse. She waited for a moment, hoping that someone would save her, but Filia and Xellos were already making their escape.

"Hey Xellos!" Lina called, and the monster froze. "Where do you think you're going? I saved your butt so you owe me too!"

"Actually, since Xellos saved Amelia's life twice, I think it'd be fair if she covers whatever he owes you," Filia said. She ignored the princess' shocked and dismayed expression as she took Xellos by the hand and pulled him along with her.

"Hmm... She has a point there Amelia," Lina remarked. She turned back to the princess who had collapsed and was lyingi n a daze on the ground. "How could Filia be so cruel?" she murmured to herself.

"Are you ok Amelia?" Gourry asked. When she didn't reply, the swordsman bent down and poked her in the head. "Amelia?"

Where were they going? He was being taken somewhere, but Filia wasn't speaking to him. Did he do something wrong? Xellos wanted to stop, just for a moment. Before they had been running from the monsters, but they weren't chasing them right now. Why were they moving so quickly if no one was chasing them? Maybe something was chasing them and he couldn't see it.

"Filia…?" he questioned unsurely. His arm was starting to hurt, and without the distraction of fighting for his life, it wouldn't be long before the agony of the torture he remembered all too well returned to him. His gloveless hand slipped out of her fingers, and he stopped.

"You didn't think I'd notice..?" she asked as she held Valgarv's egg in front of her. Xellos tried to avoid her accusing eyes without success. He knew she was trying to show him the mended fracture in the egg, but he had already seen it. He was the one who fixed it.

"He was split right down the middle wasn't he?" she asked as tears sprung to her eyes. She hugged the egg closer to her body as she began to cry with the thought of the egg lying broken in half. She was supposed to protect Valgarv, but she had failed him miserably.

Filia had kept the egg with her so she could protect it. She would have protected it with her life, but now she realized it had all been for nothing. Valgarv had been killed, and it had been her fault. Wither her vision blurred by tears, she didn't see Xellos approach, but she did feel his arms wrap around her.

He held her closely and whispered, "I'm sorry Filia. He was hurt. I didn't know what else to do."

The golden dragon pulled away from him and looked up into his amethyst eyes. He had kept his only monster feature visible for so long, they seemed almost natural to her now. She stepped back into his embrace and rested her head against his chest.

"He's half monster again isn't he?" she questioned softly.

"I didn't know what else to do…" Xellos repeated weakly. After a few moments of peaceful silence, his hold on her slackened, and she reached out and caught his hand. He still hadn't repaired his gloves, so his hands were bare. She noted how warm his was and blushed. She turned her head a little to hide her face, but he had already noticed.

Xellos pulled her forward and caught her in a kiss. Her eyes widened in surprise, and they remained like that until the monster broke away and whispered, "When he's older, he'll be able to protect you…"

"And you will stay and protect the both of us," Filia said before looking up at the starry night sky, and for a moment she could picture Milgazia, staring down at them with the same calm expression he always wore. When she looked back down again, she found that someone was infact staring at them, mouth agape, but it wasn't the elder.

"I don't even want to know..." Zelgadis finally said. He turned around and began walking away from them at a pace which suggested that he was probably going to have nitemares later on that night...

_Maybe I should warn him that Lina is in that direction,_ Filia thought to herself. She leaned against Xellos and yawned. It had been a very stressful day, and she didn't really feel like moving. _Or maybe I won't._

Author's notes: I'm finally DONE! Omg! This is probably the first "thing" with chapters I've ever completed for anything! (Outside of school of course) I'm beyond happy right now. Actually, I think I'm feeling overjoyed! Wow. And I even managed to squeeze Zelgadis in there. My work here is done.


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